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 to be a certain gap between the two sides. However, in the tennis court, anything can happen, and every player is determined to defeat their opponents.
At the start of the game, Gao Fu quickly entered the state. In the first set, she was like a commander in control of the overall situation, suppressing Berrech with fierce attacks. It only took 35 minutes for Gao Fu to win the first set with a score of 6-3. In this set, Gao Fu showed excellent serving and breaking ability, successfully breaking Berrech's serve twice in the second and sixth games. Although she did not have an advantage in the second serve winning rate, with a high first serve winning rate of 81%, Gao Fu still won the first set smoothly.
Entering the second set, the situation of the game changed unexpectedly. Gao Fu's state showed some decline, while Berrech seized the opportunity and launched a fierce counterattack. In the sixth and eighth games, Berrech successfully broke serve twice, quickly establishing a 5-3 lead. At this point, the atmosphere at the scene became tense, and the audience held their breath for Gao Fu.
However, Gao Fu was not intimidated by the difficulties before her. As the world's third-ranked player, she showed strong mental quality and tenacious fighting spirit. At a critical moment, Gao Fu quickly adjusted her state and launched a desperate counterattack. She won four consecutive games with precise baseline shots and flexible net volleys, achieving two breaks as well. Ultimately, Gao Fu staged a comeback with a 7-5 victory, advancing to the top 32 with a total score of 2-0. This victory not only demonstrated Gao Fu's strength but also highlighted her resilience in the face of adversity.
In addition to Gao Fu, many other players successfully advanced to the next round on that day. Players such as Sabalenka, Pegula, Siegemund, Bencic, Tauson, Danilovic, Fletcher, Mira Andreeva, Osaka Naomi, Schneider, Fernandez, Badosa, Vikic, Kostyuk, Pavlyuchenkova, and others all secured a place in the top 32 of the Australian Open women's singles with outstanding performances. So far, 16 seats have been produced in the top 32 of the women's singles.
Among these advanced players, one player's performance stood out, and she is Bencic who returned after giving birth. Bencic participated in the Australian Open with a world ranking of 294th, a ranking that does not have an advantage in the Grand Slam event filled with top players. However, Bencic used her strength to write a legendary comeback story. She defeated the powerful Ostapenko in the first round and then beat Lomens in the second round, securing a top 32 spot after two consecutive victories. Next, Bencic will face Osaka Naomi in the third round, a match that is undoubtedly highly anticipated.
Unfortunately, in that day's matches, some seeded players also suffered defeats. In a match that ended in the morning, the fifth-seeded Zheng Qinwen performed poorly and lost two sets in a row to Siegemund, ranked 97th in the world. This result was the biggest upset since the start of this year's Australian Open, and Zheng Qinwen became the first top eight seed to be eliminated from the women's singles. Since Zheng Qinwen reached the Australian Open final last year and earned 1300 points, but this year she stopped in the second round and lost 1230 points, causing her world ranking to drop to seventh place.
On the Australian Open court, every match is a testament to the players' sweat and hard work. Some laugh, some cry, some advance successfully, and some are unfortunately eliminated. Regardless of the outcome, the players have shown their love for tennis and the pursuit of excellence on this court. As the competition deepens, the competition in the women's singles field of the Australian Open will become more intense. Let us wait and see which player will eventually lift the championship trophy.