Zhang Shuai at Wimbledon before 2019: 0-5
Zhang Shuai at Wimbledon in 2019: 4-0 pic.twitter.com/A86Xx7e2Cp— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) July 8, 2019
Source:
https://scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3017831/wimbledon-2019-simona-halep-seeks-revenge-zhang-shuai-aims-better-li Tennis
Wimbledon 2019: Simona Halep seeks ‘revenge’ as Zhang Shuai aims to better Li Na with semi-final spot
- China’s only grand slam event winner only reached quarter-finals at the All-England Club three times
- World No 60 has already beaten one former No 1 in Caroline Wozniacki in run to last eight
Zhang Shuai competes against Dayana Yastremska. Photo: Xinhua
Chinese tennis star Zhang Shuai has said that she is having an “amazing week” after making it through to her first Wimbledon quarter-final.
The 30-year-old had never won a match at the All-England Club before this year.
Her reward for beating Ukraine teenager Dayana Yastremska is a meeting with Simona Halep.
Millions will be tuning in back home to see if Zhang can beat the former world No 1.
Halep beat Cori “Coco” Gauff, the 15-year-old American sensation, and is set to end Zhang’s fairy tale if the form book is to be believed.
Halep came into SW19 as the seventh seed while Zhang is ranked 60th in the world.
Cori Gauff (L) shakes hands with Simona Halep after their women's singles fourth round match. Photo: Xinhua
However, the Romanian is out for “revenge” against Zhang, having lost two of their three meetings.
This will be the first time they have played away from the hard courts and the first slam event since they played in the Australian Open.
“I think I can take revenge because she beat me a few times. It’s a new challenge, its a big challenge,” Halep said. “I will try to fight till the end to win the match.”
Zhang Shuai celebrates winning her women's singles fourth round match. Photo: Xinhua
Zhang had never won a match at Wimbledon before this year and now she has beaten former world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki and has a chance to beat another in the Romanian.
“Before the first win, first round, I never think I can make the quarter-final here, because before this year I never win any match singles here,” she said.
“I just try my best, because every opponent [is] very strong. And also, they played really well before at Wimbledon – an amazing week for me.”
Li Na reacts during her quarter-final loss to Agnieszka Radwanska in 2013. Photo: Xinhua
This unexpected run at Wimbledon might never have happened, Zhang revealed.
She said her doubles partner Sam Stosur talked her out of quitting tennis in 2015. The pair went on to win the women’s doubles at this year’s Australian Open.
“She’s such a nice girl, and she told me … she really wanted that I keep going to play.”
Zhang Shuai hits a return to Dayana Yastremska. Photo: Xinhua
That came just before Zhang’s breakout run to the quarter-finals at the 2016 Australian Open, where she beat Halep in the first round.
At the time, Zhang was 186th in the world rankings while Halep was the second seed. The Chinese had lost all 14 of her first-round games at grand slam events before beating the Romanian.
Zhang later beat Halep at the 2016 China Open in Beijing.
Can you believe I never win one match before 2019? Thanks very much all crowd to visiting and supporting @Wimbledon #wimbeldon https://t.co/fgfeJsisRP
— Shuai Zhang (@zhangshuai121) July 5, 2019
It is the first time since Peng Shuai in 2015 that there has been a Chinese woman in the second week at Wimbledon, while Zhang has also matched Li Na’s best performance at the All-England Club. Li reached the quarters in 2005, 2006 and 2013.
Before this year, Zhang had fallen in the first round in her previous five Wimbledon women’s singles campaigns.
Zhang also has a mixed doubles round-of-16 game to prepare for with partner John Peers. The fourth seeds face Jelena Ostapenko and Robert Lindstedt.