Zhang Shuai shows her fierce form again after the Australian Open, while Wang Xinyu’s sisterhood witnesses Yuan Yue’s marathon battle victory

After moving from the Australian Open to the Abu Dhabi 500 event, Zhang Shuai once again showcased the strength of her 37-year-old “time-honed blade,” securing two opening victories and receiving enthusiastic praise.

Having claimed the doubles title at the Australian Open alongside Mertens and becoming the WTA-certified top doubles player from mainland China, Zhang Shuai did not rest but seized the momentum to compete in the Abu Dhabi doubles tournament.

Since this time her partner changed from Mertens to Bouzkova, many were curious whether Zhang Shuai’s deadly “blade” on the Australian Open doubles court would still be as lethal without her golden Belgian partner.

When Zhang Shuai won the Australian Open, she made a memorable and emotionally intelligent remark, praising Mertens in various ways, showing that she could win with any partner, neither taking all the credit nor diminishing her partner’s contribution, perfectly maintaining their tennis sisterhood.

After Zhang Shuai and Bouzkova’s intense match against the Kichenok sisters, Zhang Shuai instantly trended online, with many praising the 37-year-old Chinese veteran as a humble and modest top player who lets her skills do the talking without boasting.

How outstanding was Zhang Shuai’s performance with Bouzkova against the Kichenok sisters? They allowed their opponents only five games throughout the match, finishing the battle with excellent form.

Although the 6-1, 6-4 scoreline suggests an easy win for Zhang Shuai’s team, fans and netizens’ post-match comments were quite profound: Sister Shuai showed everyone what “mercy strikes” and “heart-stabbing kills” truly mean.

From the first set’s performance, it was clear the Kichenok sisters were no match for Zhang Shuai’s team; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been held scoreless after five games, facing a potential bagel.

After Zhang Shuai’s team took the first set 6-1, some fans and netizens remarked that at crucial moments, Sister Shuai and Bouzkova were too merciful. Given their dominance and the Kichenok sisters’ near-collapse, they could have delivered a complete bagel but instead softened the blow by turning it into a donut, showing some respect to their tennis sisters.

After such a one-sided first set, even before the second set began, fans and netizens predicted that Zhang Shuai’s team would most likely sweep the match.

Surprisingly, the Kichenok sisters started the second set explosively, taking a 4-1 lead and pushing the match toward a potential three-set thriller and comeback.

While many thought Zhang Shuai’s team might give up the second set to save energy for the decider, Zhang Shuai and Bouzkova instead won five consecutive games to complete a strong comeback, closing the set 6-4. Fans marveled at this dramatic turnaround, calling it a true “heart-stabbing kill,” giving the Kichenok sisters hope only to crush it mercilessly, dealing a heavy blow.

Starting her doubles campaign in Abu Dhabi after the Australian Open, Zhang Shuai once again impressed everyone with the strength of her time-honed blade. Some fans echoed her Australian Open words, suggesting Zhang Shuai might be the “universal asset” who can win with any partner, praising her compliment of Mertens as a sign of her eloquence and likability.

Zhang Shuai’s doubles opening win in Abu Dhabi received much praise, while Yuan Yue’s victory in Cluj was hailed as an inspiring triumph brought by the unity of the Chinese tennis team.

After shaking off the shadow of her Australian Open loss at the first round of the Cluj 250 tournament, Yuan Yue faced a tough challenge against Tomova in the second round.

When Yuan Yue lost the first set 4-6, many believed it would be very difficult for the Chinese player to overcome Tomova.

Especially after Yuan Yue leveled the match by winning the second set 6-2 but then fell behind 1-4 in the decisive set tiebreak, many thought her fate was sealed. Few expected her to fight back fiercely and overturn Tomova in the tiebreak.

After winning this marathon match lasting 3 hours and 24 minutes, Yuan Yue immediately dropped her racket and knelt down to celebrate this hard-fought victory.

Post-match, many fans and netizens were even more excited than Yuan Yue herself. Not only did Yuan Yue triumph in this mentally demanding contest, but Wang Xinyu, Zheng Saisai, and Tang Qianhui also formed a cheering squad to support her, boosting the Chinese tennis team’s morale to the fullest and witnessing their compatriot’s marathon victory—a moment Yuan Yue will surely cherish forever.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlight River’s Starry Sky)