Zhang Shuai ended the embarrassing twelve-match losing streak of the Chinese tennis team, making history by earning 250,000 yuan and facing Wang Xinyu in a thrilling battle.

The Chinese tennis team finally broke their twelve-match losing streak at this year's China Open thanks to Zhang Shuai! However, this exciting moment only came after Shuai fought hard for 121 minutes, and the process was far from smooth!

It was often said that playing on home soil would help Chinese players exceed their usual level, but this year that idea seemed to collapse starting from the China Open qualifiers.

A large Chinese tennis squad of ten players appeared in the qualifying singles matches, but defeat after defeat kept coming. Eventually, losses extended from the women's singles all the way to the men's singles, with all ten players eliminated in the first round of qualifiers, a result hard to watch.

After the disastrous debut of all ten players in the qualifiers, the hope for a winning start at this China Open rested solely on the three Chinese women—Zhang Shuai, Shi Han, and Zhang Rui'en—who first appeared in the main draw.

Among the three, Zhang Shuai was most favored to win her first-round match against Zakharova, with hopes she could bring the Chinese team their first victory of the tournament.

Shi Han faced Keßler, and Zhang Rui'en played against Lis; given their current levels, it was widely understood that they had little chance against much stronger opponents, so the best hope was simply to perform normally and avoid a heavy defeat.

After those two matches, the results were as expected: Shi Han and Zhang Rui'en both lost in straight sets.

However, Zhang Rui'en’s performance disappointed many after the match.

The 17-year-old Zhang Rui'en has been hailed as a Chinese tennis prodigy with great potential; even if she couldn’t beat Lis, it was expected the match wouldn’t be one-sided.

But after winning just one game in the first set, Zhang Rui'en completely faded from the contest, ultimately leaving the court without winning another game, becoming an easy victory for Lis. This failed to showcase her prodigious talent and was a major disappointment on the opening day of the main draw.

With Shi Han and Zhang Rui'en both defeated, the Chinese tennis team’s losing streak at this China Open extended to twelve matches. Before Zhang Shuai’s match, everyone hoped she could handle the pressure; otherwise, ending the first day with thirteen straight losses would be unbearable.

Although the 36-year-old Zhang Shuai has more experience and better results than Zakharova, when she fell behind 0-3 early in the first set, it made everyone watching the live stream sweat nervously.

Especially after Zhang Shuai lost the first set 3-6, some viewers declared they would turn off the stream, unwilling to witness the painful thirteenth consecutive loss for the Chinese team, fearing it would be too hard to watch.

Just when almost everyone thought Zhang Shuai’s poor first-set performance meant she would struggle to turn things around in the second set, she immediately earned newfound respect.

In the second set, Zhang Shuai seemed completely transformed, dominating Zakharova and winning 6-1, sounding the rallying call for a comeback.

The deciding set was intensely gripping!

Shortly after the start, Zhang Shuai broke serve first and took control of the match, leading fans and viewers to believe her steady play would carry her to victory.

Unexpectedly, in the crucial eighth game, while serving, Zhang Shuai was broken back by Zakharova, who leveled the score and stirred up tension in the live stream once again.

Seeing Zakharova’s fierce determination and aggressive, somewhat successful attempts to attack Zhang Shuai’s first serve, many worried Zhang might collapse under pressure at this key moment.

Fortunately, Zakharova then failed to hold her own serve, allowing Zhang Shuai to regain the lead at 5-4 and reach the match’s critical point.

When everyone thought Zakharova, shaken by setbacks, would have little chance in Zhang Shuai’s final service game, no one expected her resilience to save three match points. If Zhang hadn’t sealed victory on the fourth match point, as one viewer joked, their heart condition might have been triggered.

Zhang Shuai’s comeback victory over Zakharova not only ended the Chinese tennis team’s twelve-match losing streak at this China Open but also earned her a prize of 250,000 yuan and set a new record as the oldest Chinese player to win a main draw match in the tournament’s history.

Despite the tough first set, Zhang Shuai’s comeback sets up a highly anticipated next-round clash against 31st seed Wang Xinyu, a domestic showdown that many look forward to—though it also brings the dilemma of whom to support, as both are equally dear to fans.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlit Starry Sky)