Arriving at the place where glory begins, after a fierce battle over three sets, "Chinese Sharapova" advances to the quarter-finals.

When discussing Wang Xinyu, many fans are quite familiar with her. In 2017, at just 16 years old, she claimed victory in the Australian Open Asia-Pacific Wildcard Playoff, making her the first Chinese female tennis player born in the 2000s to reach a Grand Slam main draw. In 2019, Wang Xinyu played against former world number one Maria Sharapova and won the first set in a tiebreak. Sadly, she had to retire in the second set due to health reasons. After this match, Wang Xinyu received praise from Sharapova, earning her the nickname "Chinese Sharapova."

In 2021, at the WTA 250 Prague Open, she successively defeated Swiss player Leonie Küng, Taiwanese player Liang En-shuo, and American player Grace Min, not only achieving a career-best winning streak in the tour but also reaching the semi-finals for the first time. Objectively speaking, it's not an exaggeration to say that this is the place where Wang Xinyu stepped into the limelight. So, what kind of performance will she deliver this year after arriving here? Let this article take you on a journey to find out.

This week, Wang Xinyu arrived at the WTA 250 Prague Open as the fourth seed. In the first round, her opponent was British player Dart. Last season, Wang Xinyu made a comeback against Dart after losing the first set, ultimately defeating her and reaching the last 16 at Wimbledon for the first time. In their rematch, Wang Xinyu allowed her opponent to win only six games throughout the match, securing a decisive victory and advancing smoothly to the second round.

In the second round, Wang Xinyu faced Czech player Havlíčková, who was competing with a wildcard. This player had previously won both singles and doubles titles at the French Open junior events and was hailed as a "rising star." However, since entering the WTA professional circuit, Havlíčková's performance has been less than satisfactory, having only achieved two tour victories so far. In the first set, Havlíčková broke Wang Xinyu’s serve multiple times and took the lead, ultimately winning the set 6-3 without giving Wang Xinyu any chances.

In the second set, Wang Xinyu noticeably increased the pace of the match, creating significant trouble for her opponent's service games. However, Havlíčková proved to be a tough competitor, repeatedly leveling the score. At a crucial moment, Wang Xinyu managed to hold her serve and break her opponent's, winning the set 7-5. This not only extended the match to a deciding set but also reignited her hopes for victory. In the final set, after breaking her opponent's serve, Wang Xinyu reached match point. Unfortunately, in her eagerness, she lost her serve, bringing the match back to even ground. With the scores tightly contested, they were forced into a tiebreak.

In the tiebreak, Havlíčková led 5-2. At that moment, facing adversity, Wang Xinyu launched a counterattack to level the score. However, Havlíčková won another point, gaining match point. Wang Xinyu did not give up, saving the match point and ultimately winning the match 8-6.

After the match, a disappointed Havlíčková shed tears on the court. Due to dissatisfaction with the umpire's calls, Wang Xinyu unusually did not shake hands with her opponent. Next, she will face another Czech player, Bejlek. Will Wang Xinyu be able to overcome her opponent and continue advancing? Let’s wait and see. That concludes today’s tennis story; stay tuned for more tomorrow.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yixin Jushi)