On that day, the sun shone on the various courts of Melbourne Park, where the second round of the new season's Australian Open women's singles competition was in full swing. Among the many courts, the night session at Rod Laver Arena undoubtedly became the focus of attention, as the third-seeded Gao Fu was about to make her appearance here. This young player, with her excellent skills and tenacious perseverance, has emerged in the tennis world and is highly regarded. Gao Fu's career can be described as remarkable. Last year at the finals, she successfully defeated Zheng Qinwen and won the year-end championship trophy for the first time, an achievement that undoubtedly recognized her strength. Following that, in the new season's United Cup, Gao Fu showed astonishing dominance, leading her team to a five-game winning streak and capturing the championship, her fiery form making the entire tennis world take notice. This time coming to Melbourne to participate in the Australian Open, Gao Fu demonstrated her strong power in the first round. Facing former champion Kenin, she was unafraid and easily won with a score of 2-0. In that match, Gao Fu unleashed her firepower, hitting 12 aces throughout the game, although there were also 9 double faults. However, her first serve and second serve winning rates were far superior to Kenin's, which undoubtedly became the key factor for her advancement to the next round. Now, Gao Fu stands on the second-round court, with her opponent being Berrech ranked 173rd in the world. Judging from the rankings and strength comparison, there seems…

On January 19, the fourth round of the Australian Open men's singles competition took place. Novak Djokovic, the 10-time champion, faced off against Czech player Jiri Lehecka. Djokovic defeated Lehecka in straight sets with a score of 6-3/6-4/7-6(4), eliminating him from the tournament. This marks the 15th time Djokovic has advanced to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and the 61st time he has reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam event in his career. Djokovic will now face Carlos Alcaraz in a highly anticipated match between two Grand Slam champions. Player Profiles:‌ Djokovic is currently ranked 7th in the world and is seeded 7th in this year's Australian Open men's singles. He has won 24 Grand Slam titles, including 10 at the Australian Open. In the first three rounds of this year's tournament, Djokovic successfully advanced to the round of 16 by defeating Barsova Reedy, Faria, and Mahachi. Lehecka is currently ranked 29th in the world and is seeded 24th in the Australian Open men's singles. His best performance in a Grand Slam was reaching the quarterfinals at the 2023 Australian Open. This year, Lehecka made it to the round of 16 for the third time in his career after defeating Chu Chenli, Gaston, and Bonsi. Head-to-Head Record:‌ The only previous meeting between Djokovic and Lehecka occurred during the 2024 United Cup group stage, where Djokovic emerged victorious in three sets. Match Recap:‌ In the first set, both players held their serves until the eighth game when Djokovic achieved a crucial break. He then successfully served out the set…

On January 18th, Beijing time, the 2025 Australian Open concluded its seventh day of main draw competition. In the women's singles event, the third round has been completed, with all 16 qualifiers decided. Among the top 10 seeds, four players have been eliminated: Polini, Zheng Qinwen, Pegula, and Collins. No. 5 seed Zheng Qinwen was stopped in the second round of the women's singles, while No. 4 seed Polini, No. 7 seed Pegula, and No. 10 seed Collins were all eliminated in the third round, which is the 32nd stage of the competition. No. 8 seed Navarro defeated Jabeur 6-4 3-6 6-4, winning three consecutive matches in three sets for the first time in her career to reach the Australian Open Round of 16. She has successfully entered the second week of the last four Grand Slams. No. 9 seed Kasatkina defeated No. 24 seed Putsinseva 7-5 6-1, achieving a breakthrough in her 10th Australian Open main draw appearance by reaching the Round of 16 for the first time. She also unlocked the achievement of successfully entering the second week of all four Grand Slams. Next, she will compete with No. 8 seed Navarro for a spot in the quarterfinals. No. 6 seed Rybakina seized the seventh match point to defeat No. 32 seed Yastremska 6-3 6-4, reaching the second week of the Australian Open for the second time in her career. Lucky loser Lies defeated Christian 4-6 6-3 6-3, continuing to refresh her personal best Grand Slam performance by reaching the Round of 16 for the first time. Next,…

Zheng Qinwen, will she emerge stronger from the depths of defeat? This athlete, who faced controversies with referees and physical challenges during her loss at the 2023 Australian Open, decided to take a short break from competition to recover. It seemed as though all the glory and buzz surrounding her faded away in an instant. However, no one could have anticipated that just over a year later, she would stand atop the highest podium at the 2024 Paris Olympics, claiming gold with an outstanding performance and rewriting a new chapter for Chinese tennis. When discussing Zheng Qinwen's story, one cannot help but recall the old saying: "It is only when one reaches the depths of despair that they truly discover their strength." This phrase likely does not refer to her relentless struggle to reach where she is today, but rather to the impulse to surpass oneself, which only emerges in the face of the most challenging moments, unleashing true power. At the 2023 Australian Open, Zheng Qinwen suffered a loss in the second round, confronting controversial referee decisions and unsatisfactory physical conditions. She stood before defeat, helpless. After the match, instead of choosing to continue training intensively or excessively blaming herself, she made a surprising decision—to suspend her participation in competitions and focus on recovering her health. Although this decision caused concern among some fans, it was an extremely wise choice from the perspective of a professional athlete. The cruelty of competitive sports is only fully understood by those who have experienced it firsthand. Every failure is not just a…

On the morning of January 19th, the women's singles at the Australian Open welcomed a focus match in the round of 16, with top seed Sabalenka facing off against Andrejeva. Encountering little resistance, Sabalenka easily defeated her opponent 2-0, advancing smoothly to the quarterfinals. In this year's Australian Open, Sabalenka is the defending champion and the top favorite to win the title. In the first round, she defeated Stephens 2-0. In the second round, Sabalenka eliminated Maneiro 2-0. And in the third round, Sabalenka continued her dominance with another 2-0 victory, keeping Tauson out of the top 16. After the start of today's match, Sabalenka immediately demonstrated her overwhelming dominance. In the first set, the Belarusian player broke serve in the 4th and 6th games. In the opening set, Andrejeva only managed to win one game, losing 1-6. In the second set, Sabalenka still did not give her opponent any opportunities. She easily won her own service games. Additionally, she broke serve in the 3rd and 7th games, causing Andrejeva to lose another set. The score for the second set was 2-6. Throughout the entire match, Andrejeva only won a total of 3 games in two sets, leaving her with no hope of victory. Due to Sabalenka's fierce offensive, the match lasted only 62 minutes. Sabalenka had a first serve winning rate of 78% and a second serve winning rate of 56%. In the sixth game of the second set, Sabalenka almost faced a break of serve, but she turned the tide under pressure from three break points, holding onto…

On January 18th, Beijing time, the 2025 Australian Open continued. In a focus match of the first round of women's doubles, the Chinese pair Wang Xinyu/Zheng Saisai saved match points to defeat the cross-border pairing of Wang Xiuyu and Putinceva. During the game, Wang Xinyu's high looks and sweet smile left a deep impression on the fans. Although the draw for the women's singles was not good and she drew the fifth seed Badosa in the first round, Wang Xinyu still had a chance to win. Her wonderful offense made the audience at the Australian Open exclaim continuously. Unfortunately, due to too many unforced errors, Wang Xinyu missed the victory. After being eliminated from the women's singles, Wang Xinyu devoted all her energy to the doubles court. She and Zheng Saisai's combination once trailed 2-5 in the decisive set under an unfavorable situation, but they fought back tenaciously, saved match points, and won five consecutive games to advance to the second round of the women's doubles. After successfully advancing, Wang Xinyu is expected to continue challenging and impacting her second Grand Slam doubles championship trophy. The 23-year-old Wang Xinyu was born into a sports family. Her father is Wang Peng, the former coach of the Chinese national tennis team, and her mother is a basketball player. Inheriting her parents' excellent athletic genes, Wang Xinyu stands at 1.82 meters tall, with solid fundamentals and no weaknesses in forehand or backhand. Wang Xinyu became famous at a young age. She is the first post-00s Chinese tennis player to participate in the main…

Honestly, after watching Zheng Qinwen's match at the Australian Open, I'm not feeling great. As a tennis fan who has watched the sport for over twenty years, I could sense her struggles throughout the game. It's disheartening to see such a rising star falter in the second round of the Australian Open. Recently, I discussed this with some old friends from the tennis community, and our opinions align with those of tennis legends like Davenport and Prakash. Zheng Qinwen's loss can be attributed to her inability to fully grasp the intricacies of "flexible tactics." Siegemund played a cunning game, alternating between slice shots, drop shots, and lobs, which left Zheng Qinwen disoriented. Davenport made a valid point; she mentioned that Barty's previous success was due to her ability to capitalize on the rarity of players skilled in slice shots in today's game. Tennis is not just about power and speed but also tests a player's adaptability on the court. I've carefully considered Zheng Qinwen's playing style. She usually prefers to play at her own pace, with precise baseline shots and ample power. However, against Siegemund, known as a "spiritual school" player, her usual approach fell short. The opponent quickly disrupted her rhythm, leaving her flustered and stomping her feet in frustration. After the loss, Zheng Qinwen cited two reasons: the impact of a time violation penalty on her mentality and the nagging issue of an elbow injury. Honestly, I'm not entirely convinced by these explanations. Having played professional tennis for so long, a time violation penalty shouldn't significantly affect one's…

On January 18th, Beijing time, the seventh day of the 2025 Australian Open saw the third round matches in the men's top half and women's bottom half fully underway. Amazingly, Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina, a husband-and-wife duo, pulled off upsets against two singles world No. 4 players, Taylor Fritz and Paula Badosa, respectively, on the same day and court, leading to the elimination of two top-four seeds in the Australian Open singles draw! Additionally, veterans and rising stars made history together, with the 38-year-old French veteran Monfils becoming the second player over 38 to reach the men's singles last 16 at a Grand Slam since Roger Federer, while the 19-year-old American prodigy, Rinky Hijikata, became the youngest player to reach the men's singles last 16 at the Australian Open since Rafael Nadal. At Margaret Court Arena, the Australian Open's second court, Monfils and Svitolina took to the court for the second and third matches of the day. In the third round of the men's singles, Monfils lost the first set but fought back to win three consecutive sets, ultimately defeating American star Fritz with a scoreline of 3-1 (3-6/7-5/7-6(1)/6-4), causing the No. 4 seed in the men's singles to exit the tournament! Since 1991, Monfils has become the second player after Federer to reach the men's singles last 16 at a Grand Slam at the age of 38 or older. In the subsequent match, Monfils' wife, Svitolina, also caused an upset, mirroring her husband's feat by losing the first set before winning two sets in a row to complete…

On January 18th, Beijing time, a major upset occurred in the third round of the new season's Australian Open women's singles event. The No. 4 seed, Paulini, suffered a stunning reversal with scores of 6-2, 4-6, and 0-6, losing to the 28th seed Svitolina with a total score of 1-2. This made her the third top-eight seeded player to be eliminated after Zheng Qinwen and Pegula. Last year, Paulini achieved two consecutive runner-up finishes at the French Open and Wimbledon, which allowed her to enter the world's top five for the first time and maintain the fourth position for an extended period. In the new season, Paulini participated in the United Cup but was eliminated in the quarterfinals, indicating an average overall performance. Now at the Australian Open, she advanced to the top 32 relatively easily but faced a real challenge in her pursuit of a spot in the top 16. In this match, Paulini faced Svitolina, who broke her serve in the third game of the first set. Paulini immediately broke back, followed by further breaks in the sixth and eighth games, winning the set 6-2 in a comfortable reversal. However, in the second set, Paulini's state suddenly declined. Svitolina made a crucial break in the third game and held serve in the fourth, establishing a 3-1 lead. Both players then held their serves, and Svitolina leveled the total score at 6-4 after holding serve in the tenth game. In the decisive final set, Svitolina continued to improve, breaking serve right from the start and continuing to do so…

In the fierce competition of the second round of women's doubles at the 2025 Australian Open, 35-year-old veteran Zhang Shuai teamed up with Meladonovic to win a decisive victory over Sterns/Stefanie with a lopsided score of 6-2/6-2, advancing strongly to the third round. Adding to this, Zhang Shuai has successfully advanced to the round of 16 in both women's doubles and mixed doubles, becoming a shining star on the court. Zhang Shuai, currently ranked 26th in the world in women's doubles, has achieved remarkable success in doubles. She twice held the women's doubles championship trophy high at the 2019 Australian Open and the 2021 US Open, and also won the runner-up at Wimbledon in 2022. At this Australian Open, Zhang Shuai teamed up with Meladonovic again as the No. 9 seed of the tournament, and their strength cannot be underestimated. Last year at the US Open, the two worked together to overcome all obstacles and reach the final, eventually winning the runner-up. This Australian Open is also their first time to partner again after the US Open, and their tacit understanding remains unchanged. Their opponents, Stefanie as a doubles ace, reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open last year and twice entered the semifinals of the US Open; Sterns once reached the round of 16 in singles at the US Open, and successfully advanced to the third round at both the French Open and the US Open last year, with equally formidable strength. The match began with intense competition. In the first set, the Zhang Shuai team faced challenges and…