US Open: Wang Qiang supporters hoping for another magic moment as she takes on Serena Williams in quarter-finals
- Williams pulled out of the match when she last met Wang at the Miami Open in March
- Wang is the fifth Chinese player to reach a grand slam tournament quarter-final
Chinese tennis fans are hoping history will be repeated as Wang Qiang takes on Serena Williams of United States in her first US Open quarter-final.
Wang became the fifth Chinese player to reach the last-eight in a grand slam tournament after defeating world number two Ashleigh Barty of Australia in straight sets and the 27-year-old now has the chance to go further if she can beat favourite Williams, who has a record 23 grand slam singles titles.
When the two last met in the Miami Open in March, Williams withdrew from their third-round encounter because of injury. Williams survived a medical time-out on Sunday when she rolled her right ankle in the second set of her victory over Petra Martic of Croatia in the third round.
“I hope it can happen again,” one fan wrote on social media portal Sina Sports. “She is a mother and should have a kind heart to help Wang go through by another withdrawal.” Another fan simply posted, “Williams pulls out next round!” While some fans said Williams was still a strong force to be reckoned with.
At the Miami Open, Wang reached the semi-finals before losing to Simona Halep of Romania. If Wang can reach the semi-finals in the US Open, she will become the fourth Chinese player to reach a grand slam event semi.
Only Li Na, a French and Australian Open champion, Zheng Jie and Peng Shuai have reached the semi-finals of a grand slam tournament, while Zhang Shuai was a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon this summer.
Wang has been hailed as part of a new generation of Chinese players, attracting attention not only because of her skills on court but also for her striking looks. Coincidentally, her name has the same pronunciation as one of the “Four Beauties” of ancient China.
