The battle between the prodigy girls was criticized for a seriously off-track storyline, while Zhang Zhizhen will attempt to secure the first Australian Open win for the Chinese team on the 18th.

Following the contest between tennis prodigies Andreyeva and Mboko, most viewers felt that Xiaomila's victory was basically predictable, yet the way it unfolded was very unexpected.

In the semifinals, Mboko easily defeated Burel in straight sets, and Andreyeva swept her close friend Schneider in two sets. When these two renowned tennis prodigies met in the Adelaide 500 final, everyone believed it would be the fiercest competition for the title in the new season.

The Canadian dark horse and the Russian Xiaomila are regarded by fans and netizens as the highest-level prodigies in tennis. Mboko’s first career title came at a 1000-level event, while Andreyeva won two 1000-level championships last year, stirring up a lot of buzz.

With both players exceptionally talented and strong meeting in the Adelaide final, it was expected to be an intense battle that would likely go the full three sets. Most predicted Andreyeva had a higher chance to win since she defeated Schneider, who is considered stronger than Burel, Mboko’s semifinal opponent.

However, the match’s early momentum confused both fans and viewers right from the start of the first set.

At the beginning of the first set, instead of quickly entering a fierce battle, Andreyeva seemed half-asleep and appeared to lose resistance against Mboko, who stormed ahead with a 3-0 lead.

Just when many wondered if Andreyeva would collapse in tears, surprisingly the Russian Xiaomila won six consecutive games to take the first set 6-3, leaving everyone quite shocked.

Before the second set began, as the live chat discussed the players’ performances in the first set, someone joked that Mboko and Andreyeva were playing like a friendly match—either not exerting themselves or showing uncontrollable intensity that was tough for the other to handle.

Mboko’s stunning start in the first set, only to lose it after giving away a hidden break, led some fans and commentators to boldly predict that the match’s peak was about to arrive in the second set, expecting the Canadian dark horse to make her presence felt, or else her high prodigy status would be questionable.

Initially, everyone thought the second set would be the most intense moment of the match, but instead of tension and excitement, Mboko unexpectedly collapsed and was decisively defeated by Andreyeva, who dominated and claimed the championship trophy.

From a pre-match prediction of a clash like a cosmic collision to Andreyeva’s one-sided 64-minute victory, fans were quite dissatisfied with the process shown by these two prodigies, unable to understand how such a seemingly balanced contest ended so lopsided.

After winning, Andreyeva was very happy and showed a rebellious sense of dry humor during the interview: “Normally, I should thank my team, but honestly, I think I won because of myself. I don’t know what to say. I’ve been training hard and sweating buckets. Honestly, I don’t know what you all do here. Of course, I’m joking, thank you all.”

Previously, people thought Andreyeva was a rather introverted Russian girl, but it turns out she has a great sense of humor, either silent or delivering witty lines, making her super charming.

Now, praise for Andreyeva is not just for breaking a ten-month title drought by winning the prodigy battle against Mboko, but also for having collected all levels of tour titles—250, 500, and 1000—by age 18, truly deserving the prodigy title.

After Andreyeva’s triumph, many are eagerly anticipating whether the Russian girl can replicate last year’s success at the Australian Open by carrying her Adelaide momentum all the way through.

Also drawing attention is Zhang Zhizhen! The former top Chinese player will lead the Chinese tennis team’s charge starting on the 18th, aiming to achieve the opening victory for China at this year’s Australian Open—a task both honorable and challenging.

Zhang Zhizhen’s first-round opponent at the Australian Open is Selenlova. Although Zhang leads their head-to-head 2-1, he was swept in straight sets by Selenlova in their most recent 2023 Eastbourne encounter. Therefore, many believe Zhang faces a tough challenge to win.

Some have directly encouraged Zhang Zhizhen, saying he should just give it his all since expectations are low before the match. Fighting with everything he’s got is the only way—winning would be a surprise, losing wouldn’t be a big loss.

If Zhang Zhizhen fails to secure the opening win for Chinese tennis, the responsibility will then fall on Bai Zhuoxuan. The young Bai will play around 1:30 PM Beijing time on the 18th against Russian star Pavlyuchenkova. Like Zhang, Bai faces a tough challenge and must rely on sheer determination to advance.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlit River’s Starry Sky)