Wu Yibing stuns Ruud in a kingly comeback, Zhang Shuai finishes in 67 minutes to salute her new sponsor

Wu Yibing indeed lived up to expectations by making the pre-tournament upset come true!

Having worked hard to qualify through the Acapulco 500 qualifiers, when Wu Yibing drew the third seed Ruud in the opening round, some expressed sympathy, saying fate was harshly teasing him. The implication was that the Chinese number one would struggle to get past Norway’s top player.

Especially after Zhang Zhizhen and Shang Juncheng both exited in the first round this week, Wu Yibing stood as the sole Chinese male singles hope, facing a tough opponent like Ruud in his main draw debut, making his chances seem slim.

However, a small group believed that Ruud only appeared intimidating and that applying enough pressure would make him falter. Given his recent form seemed shaky, if Wu Yibing fought with all his might and applied consistent pressure, victory was possible, though it might be a tough battle.

As the tournament’s third seed, Ruud was certainly no pushover. Perhaps he anticipated Wu Yibing’s desperate fight and prepared accordingly, resulting in an intense first set that had to be decided by a tiebreak.

Initially, there were concerns that Wu Yibing might struggle in the tiebreak due to earlier exhaustion, but those worries proved unfounded as China’s top player quickly dominated Norway’s star, winning the first set 7-2 in the tiebreak with ease.

Under immense pressure throughout the match, Ruud quickly demonstrated in the second set why he is a three-time Grand Slam finalist by breaking Wu Yibing’s serve in the fifth game and taking control of the set.

To Ruud’s surprise, Wu Yibing immediately responded by breaking back in the sixth game, restoring balance to the match and pushing it into another tiebreak.

In the second set tiebreak, Wu Yibing performed even better than in the first, decisively winning while conceding only one point to Ruud, eliminating the tournament’s third seed and creating the biggest upset of the Acapulco 500.

After the match, fans and netizens exclaimed “China’s number one has finally returned with strength,” expressing their excitement.

Wu Yibing’s upset over Ruud clearly showcased his solid skill level. Especially impressive was his powerful forehand, which challenged Ruud’s best defensive counterattacks, thrilling the audience. With 32 winners compared to Ruud’s 9, Wu’s dominance was undeniable, making the victory well deserved.

Compared to the fiery battle between Wu Yibing and Ruud, Zhang Shuai’s match against Lepchenko was much more straightforward!

Zhang Shuai’s outstanding form from qualifying into the main draw had everyone confident she would comfortably defeat the American veteran.

The final result confirmed those predictions perfectly, as Zhang Shuai won without question. Unexpectedly, she played a lightning-fast match, allowing Lepchenko no chance to fight back, finishing in just 67 minutes with a 6-2, 6-1 sweep.

The praise for Zhang Shuai after the match was not just for her dominant performance in Merida but also for her bold decision to use matches as practice.

As a main draw alternate at the Merida 500, Zhang Shuai could have avoided the tiring qualifiers and still had a chance to enter the main draw. However, she chose to forgo the alternate spot and take control of her fate by competing through qualifiers, betting on herself—and ultimately succeeding.

Facing old rival Lepchenko in the first round, Zhang Shuai showcased the benefits of her match-play preparation from qualifying by delivering a commanding victory, securing a spot in the tournament’s round of 16.

With this win over Lepchenko, Zhang Shuai returned to the TOP 70 rankings, now sitting at No. 69. Fans and netizens jokingly called her victory a gift to her new sponsor, Li-Ning.

Currently, the second-round opponents for Wu Yibing and Zhang Shuai have been confirmed: Wu will face Japan’s Shimabukuro, while Zhang will take on American heiress Navarro.

Though Wu Yibing has never played the Japanese player before, many back China’s number one to win based on his upset over Ruud; Zhang Shuai holds a 2-0 record over Navarro and is also seen as highly likely to hand the American her third straight loss!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlight River Starry Sky)