It was a rollercoaster Friday at the Ningbo Open as 31-year-old Zhu Lin’s hardcourt heroics met their match against rising Russian star Diana Shnaider 🎾. The crowd, buzzing from Zhu’s upset wins over Emma Raducanu and top seed Mirra Andreeva, roared like at a midnight street cricket match in Karachi or a K-pop concert in Seoul 🎉. Zhu came out firing, storming the first set 6-2 with electric forehands and net rushes ⚡
But Shnaider refused to flinch. The 21-year-old dialled in her serve, mixing powerful aces with well-placed backhands to push Zhu onto defence. She snapped up the second set 6-3, turning momentum in her favour 💪.
By the decider, Zhu looked drained as Shnaider unleashed a one-sided 6-1 finale to seal a 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 win and book a spot in the semifinals. Next up for Shnaider is a showdown with fellow Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova 🥊. Meanwhile, the last player from the Chinese mainland in Ningbo heads south to the Guangzhou Open, hungry to turn these sparks into a new flame 🔥.
From the chanting fans to the high-stakes tiebreaks, Ningbo delivered all the drama we love. Who’ll be the next underdog to break through? Stay tuned!
Reference(s):
Zhu Lin's spirited home run comes to end in Ningbo Open quarterfinals
cgtn.com
