The Australian Open has entered its ninth day of competition, with the matches gradually reaching their climax. Currently, only Zhang Shuai remains from the Chinese contingent, with both the women's doubles and mixed doubles teams advancing to the quarterfinals. The women's doubles match has already concluded with a disappointing exit, leaving only the mixed doubles competition.
In the women's singles event, there have been several upsets. The sixth-seeded player, Elena Rybakina, lost 1-2 to American player Madison Keys. It was unfortunate that in the first and third sets, Rybakina had the advantage of serving first but failed to capitalize on it. Keys played exceptionally well in the first and third sets, leaving Rybakina with little room for a comeback.
Rybakina was the first of the top four players to drop out due to her poor health, which has led to frequent withdrawals from tournaments. Her level of play has been inconsistent, capable of defeating anyone when at her best but struggling against even lower-ranked opponents when not.
Just one day after Rybakina's exit from the Australian Open, Goran Ivanisevic announced that he would no longer serve as her coach. He stated, "After the end of the trial period at the Australian Open, I wish Elena and her team all the best for the future."
Ivanisevic had previously revealed that his goal was to help Rybakina make more use of her strong serve and baseline game to come to the net more often and finish points. Although the results at the Australian Open were not ideal, there were moments of brilliance. For example, in yesterday's match against Keys, Rybakina showed great courage in following the ball to the net and had an excellent sense of low volleys, something she had rarely done before. This demonstrated Ivanisevic's value, as their short two-month collaboration had already brought about significant improvements.
Another top seed and Grand Slam champion, Coco Gauff, also exited the tournament, losing 0-2 to Paula Badosa. This was somewhat unexpected, as Gauff had previously beaten Badosa and was in better form recently, making her one of the favorites to win the Australian Open. However, her performance was not up to par, failing to showcase her strengths, with weak shots and passive defense. Her serve was also inconsistent, with significant fluctuations.
Badosa, who had never reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam or defeated a top-ten player before, managed to secure a crucial victory. In the second set, at 5-4 and serving for the match, Badosa needed only five shots to claim the final four points required for her most significant career victory so far—an ace into the inner corner of the service box, a direct serve for a point into the outer corner of the service box, an ace into the outer corner of the service box, and a serve plus a forehand winner, a one-two punch to solve the problem.
Facing the huge temptation of a breakthrough victory, Badosa did not become nervous or conservative; instead, she performed beyond expectations. It's worth noting that Badosa hit only three aces throughout the entire match, with two of them coming at the most critical moment.
Zheng Qinwen has arrived in Spain to start special training, and here is her upcoming competition schedule:
February 9th: WTA1000 Doha Tournament
February 16th: WTA1000 Dubai Tournament
March 5th: WTA1000 Indian Wells Tournament
March 18th: WTA1000 Miami Tournament
For Zheng Qinwen, these WTA1000 tournaments are of utmost importance. WTA1000 events are top-level competitions in women's tennis, second only to Grand Slam events. In these matches, players can accumulate valuable points to improve their world rankings. For Zheng Qinwen, these 1000-level tournaments are key events for her to enhance her ranking and build confidence.
Furthermore, with Rybakina's elimination, Zheng Qinwen stands to benefit, as she now faces one less formidable opponent in her pursuit of the world No. 4 ranking. The four 1000-level events before the French Open are crucial for Zheng Qinwen, providing her with a significant opportunity to break into the top four and achieve a new high in her career.