Great news from the Australian Open! The 37-year-old veteran amazes everyone as Zhang Shuai and her partner claim the women's doubles title, earning a whopping 3.92 million RMB in prize money.

On January 31st, Beijing time, the Australian Open women's doubles final ended with Chinese star Zhang Shuai and Mertens playing brilliantly, defeating Danilina and Krunic 2-0 in straight sets to secure the championship. The pair earned 810,000 AUD, about 3.92 million RMB. It’s worth mentioning this is Zhang Shuai’s third Grand Slam women’s doubles trophy, with the 37-year-old emerging as a big winner—a wonderful moment for Chinese tennis!

Zhang Shuai and Mertens faced Danilina and Krunic in the final. Neither pair was a favorite to win initially, but both fought through tough matches to reach the final, showing excellent form and strong teamwork. Therefore, the outcome of the final depended heavily on performance under pressure.

At the start, Zhang Shuai’s team was slow to warm up, while Danilina and Krunic quickly took control, achieving a dream start with a 3-0 lead. However, Zhang’s duo gradually regained composure and chipped away at the score, turning a 1-4 deficit into a 5-4 lead after winning four consecutive games. Danilina and Krunic leveled at 5-5 and then 6-6, pushing the set into a tiebreak. In the tiebreak, Zhang’s team surged ahead by winning six points to reach set point. Danilina and Krunic fought back fiercely, scoring four points to narrow it to 4-6, but Zhang and Mertens held steady under pressure, closing the tiebreak 7-4 to take the first set in a thrilling comeback.

In the second set, Danilina and Krunic lost their composure and made numerous errors. Zhang and Mertens capitalized on this momentum, playing nearly flawlessly and roaring to a 5-0 lead, earning match point. Unexpectedly, the opponents requested a medical timeout and returned rejuvenated, winning four straight games to narrow the gap to 4-5. However, Zhang and Mertens remained composed and won four consecutive points in the tenth game, sealing the set 6-4 and the match 2-0, securing the championship without major trouble.

Congratulations to Zhang Shuai for proving age is no barrier, delivering a huge surprise to Chinese fans by winning another Grand Slam women’s doubles title. Since the prize money is split evenly in doubles, the pair will share 3.92 million RMB, a fantastic reward. This partnership looks perfect, and hopefully, they will continue to team up for a long time. Well done!

Written by / Sports Novel