It was a big day at Melbourne Park on Wednesday as China's Zhang Shuai and Belgium's Elise Mertens stormed into the second round of the 2026 Australian Open women's doubles with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Romania's Sorana Cirstea and Russia's Anna Kalinskaya 🎾🔥.
The turning point came in the third game of the first set when Zhang & Mertens scored an early break. Keeping their cool, they swapped solid groundstrokes and sharp volleys before sealing set one at 6-4. The duo regrouped quickly after Cirstea and Kalinskaya tried to mix it up with aggressive net play, breaking back from 0-2 to level at 2-2 and running away with the second set 6-2.
Not to be outdone, China's Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan also booked their spot in round two. The pair grabbed a 3-1 lead in the opener, closing it out 6-4, then dominated the next set 6-2, showing why they're one to watch this year.
Fans across South and Southeast Asia are loving the action, streaming matches on their phones and sharing epic rallies on social media 📱✨.
Both Chinese pairs will look to keep the momentum rolling as they aim for their first Grand Slam title together. Stay tuned for more action from the Aussie summer!
Reference(s):
Zhang, Mertens pick up women's doubles victory at Australian Open
cgtn.com
