Top 4 at Brisbane Station Born! Sabalenka to Battle Dark Horse, Zheng Qinwen's Struggle for Australian Open Championship Difficult
On January 3rd, Beijing time, the quarter-finals of the WTA500 Brisbane Station saw world number one Sabalenka secure another 2-0 victory. With this win, Sabalenka advanced to the semi-finals with a record of three consecutive victories without dropping a single set in these matches.
With Sabalenka's advancement, the top four spots at the WTA500 Brisbane Station have been filled. The other three players are Andreeva, Kudryavtseva, and Kalinina. In the semi-finals, Kudryavtseva will face Kalinina, while Sabalenka will take on Andreeva.
Looking at the players who have advanced to the top four, Andreeva is undoubtedly the biggest dark horse. At last year's China Open, Andreeva had a match against Zheng Qinwen where she started with a 1-0 lead but was later returned a 6-0 by Zheng Qinwen! Andreeva was even brought to tears by Zheng Qinwen at one point.
After a season of training, Andreeva's progress has become increasingly rapid, especially her defensive capabilities and tenacity, which are very threatening.
Andreeva has faced Sabalenka three times, losing twice but winning once! At last year's French Open, Andreeva made a stunning comeback from a 0-1 deficit to defeat Sabalenka 2-1. It's clear that Andreeva is not an easy opponent. If Zheng Qinwen were to meet her again at the Australian Open, it would be no easy feat to defeat Andreeva.
Furthermore, Zheng Qinwen has faced Sabalenka five times and has yet to win a single match, only managing to win one set across those encounters. It's evident that Zheng Qinwen is truly helpless when facing opponents she struggles against.
Judging from the performances of several key players at the Brisbane Station and the United Cup, it is estimated that Zheng Qinwen's challenge to win the Australian Open title will be even greater than last season.
Firstly, there is Sabalenka, Zheng Qinwen's number one nemesis, who has won three consecutive 2-0 victories at the Brisbane Station. Not only has she regained her competitive form early, but she also aims to claim the Australian Open title. Currently, Sabalenka is the top contender for the Australian Open championship.
Secondly, there are the two major contenders, Gauff and Swiatek. At the United Cup, both Gauff and Swiatek have led their respective teams, the United States and Poland, to the semi-finals. They both play crucial roles within their teams. Gauff is the second favorite to win the Australian Open, while Swiatek is the third.
In addition to these three major contenders, there is also Mertens, who Zheng Qinwen finds challenging to play against. Mertens has shone brightly at the United Cup. In the quarter-finals, she defeated world number four Paolini, leading the Czech team to the semi-finals. Mertens will next face Gauff in a decisive showdown. Moreover, Andreeva is also a formidable opponent.
It's clear that the competitors at the Australian Open are getting stronger, and these players have already adjusted their states to competition mode before the Australian Open. In contrast, Zheng Qinwen only has one charity match to play before the Australian Open. If she has bad luck in the draw and faces a tough opponent in the first round, it will still be quite challenging for her to advance easily.
Personally, for Zheng Qinwen to go further in the Australian Open, she needs good fortune in the draw. In the first two rounds, encountering weaker opponents can allow her to adjust her state. On the other hand, treating the charity match before the Australian Open as a real match can help her find some competitive form. As for contending for the championship, it seems a bit uncertain.