Zhang Shuai dramatically advances to semifinals, opponent determined, hopes to reach final; reason for starting from qualifiers revealed.

After Zhang Shuai swept Andorran player Kasintseva 6-1, 6-3 to reach the semifinals of the Merida 500 tournament, some remarked post-match that the process of this high-profile match was more interesting than the result, "The two ladies played it out like a drama."

Before this high-profile match began, many were worried for Zhang Shuai, as there was a 17-year age gap between her and Kasintseva. Given the 20-year-old Andorran player's age advantage, if it came down to a battle of stamina, the 37-year-old Chinese veteran might struggle to hold up.

However, once the match officially started and everyone saw the performances of Zhang Shuai and Kasintseva, the tone for this high-profile match was quickly set: just wait quietly for Sister Shuai to secure the victory and cheer for her!

The reason outsiders predicted this outcome in advance was Kasintseva's extremely poor performance, with wild errors on every swing or shot. Compared to Zhang Shuai's more stable play, the match naturally became uncompetitive. This is why no one was surprised when the Golden Flower won the first set 6-1.

Fans and netizens immediately showed their humor, feeling Sister Shuai was being too merciful. She clearly could have served a bagel but seemed to have a moment of compassion, deliberately giving a game to the Andorran player to avoid embarrassment and maintain her nice-girl image on the tour.

The stark contrast in form displayed by the two in the first set led everyone to predict that Zhang Shuai was highly likely to replicate the first-set scoreline in the second.

But no one expected that a match predicted to be a quick sweep would unfold with such a bizarre, twist-filled plot, giving rise to the meme that Zhang Shuai and Kasintseva were "acting out a play."

The most thrilling game in the second set occurred during Zhang Shuai's first service game. The two battled for 13 minutes before a winner was decided. During this game, Zhang Shuai gave up as many as 5 break points, yet Kasintseva failed to capitalize on any opportunity. The expression on the Andorran player's face showed she was clearly shaken, with signs of an impending meltdown.

Just as everyone thought Zhang Shuai would seize this chance to crush Kasintseva and end the match, prompting enthusiastic applause, unexpectedly, the Golden Flower seemed infected by her opponent's errors and started performing alongside the Andorran player.

The two then proceeded to engage in a mutual service-break spectacle, turning the second set into a break-fest, leaving fans and netizens utterly stunned.

Soon, some joked with Zhang Shuai: even though Kasintseva's performance was weak, and you're being kind, you should still have limits. By cooperating with her act like this, aren't you considering everyone's psychological endurance?

This break-fest only stopped in the ninth game. As Zhang Shuai secured her service game to win the match 6-3, it officially concluded this "entertaining" contest lasting 1 hour and 32 minutes.

After the match, someone raised a very interesting and pointed question: all four games Kasintseva won in the entire match were gifts from the Chinese Golden Flower. How did she even reach the quarterfinals of the Merida 500 from the qualifiers? It's utterly perplexing.

They also offered Zhang Shuai some advice: you absolutely cannot perform like this in the semifinals. Fortunately, Kasintseva was too weak for the act to backfire. If you had ended up getting reversed, regardless of your own regret, the wave of frustration from fans and netizens would have been enough to blow the roof off.

After advancing to the Merida 500 semifinals, Zhang Shuai's opponent has been confirmed: she will face Frech.

The Golden Flower is familiar with her, having faced her three times before, with the Chinese player leading the head-to-head 2-1. Therefore, many believe that with a chance to reach the final of this 500-level tournament, Zhang Shuai will certainly elevate her form. Combined with this psychological edge, she is strongly favored to advance to the final.

Furthermore, the answer to the question that had long puzzled many—why Zhang Shuai, who had a chance to start in the Merida 500 main draw, chose to fight through the qualifiers instead—has finally surfaced!

The initial rumor was that Zhang Shuai gave up her main draw alternate spot to start from the qualifiers as a way to use matches for practice. This decision was hailed as brilliant by many as she kept advancing.

However, Zhang Shuai's personal response to this question was somewhat surprising: "Actually, it was a big mistake. Because my coach withdrew my main draw entry, I had to start from the qualifiers. Otherwise, I should have entered the main draw directly."

Of course, Zhang Shuai also emphasized that starting from the qualifiers was very helpful for her, aiding in finding match rhythm. "When you feel good, you just keep winning."(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moon River's Starry Sky)