Tonight is sleepless! Zhang Shuai's delivery of fried dough sticks still ends in losing the championship, while Guo Hanyu's physical discomfort leads to a defeat against the German veteran.

Tonight is sleepless! After both Zhang Shuai and Guo Hanyu suffered defeats in two critical matches, the four words uttered by fans and netizens became another instance of unfulfilled hopes for Chinese tennis!

Since Zhang Shuai withdrew from the grueling schedule for the second time, everyone has had one wish: to see her replicate her feat of winning the Washington tournament after withdrawing from the Montreal qualifiers, this time claiming the Montreal doubles championship to make up for the regret of withdrawing from the Cincinnati qualifiers and the loss of ranking points in singles.

After sweeping Kenin and Dolehide in the semifinals to reach the finals, bookmakers also supported Zhang Shuai and Townsend with favorable odds, raising everyone's expectations even higher.

Although Zhang Shuai and Townsend experienced fluctuations in their serving games in the first set, allowing Gauff and Kessler to seize the opportunity and win the first set 6-4, fans and netizens in the live broadcast still believed in the possibility of a comeback for the Zhang-Townsend duo.

Especially as Zhang Shuai and Townsend increased their coordination and stability in the second set, they quickly achieved a dream start with a 4-0 lead through a series of holds and breaks, and after winning the second set 6-1 to level the match, their victory confidence soared even higher.

Unfortunately, in the decisive tiebreak battle, Zhang Shuai and Townsend couldn't withstand the pressure at critical moments, losing to Gauff and Kessler 13-11, narrowly missing the 1000-series doubles championship.

The immense regret felt by everyone after Zhang Shuai and Townsend's loss mainly stems from the fact that the duo was actually capable of overcoming the Gauff pair in the tiebreak but ended up squandering their advantageous position.

Some netizens pointed out that when they saw the Zhang-Townsend duo take a 3-1 lead in the tiebreak, they thought the championship was already secured. However, no one expected Townsend and Zhang Shuai suddenly faltered, continuously giving Gauff and Kessler chances to equalize with double faults and errors. Then came a series of ridiculous mistakes, and they could only watch as victory slipped away to their opponents, accepting the loss.

Although Zhang Shuai and Townsend self-sabotaged when they held the initiative in the match, Gauff and Kessler also provided them with opportunities. For instance, Gauff and Kessler missed three match points and were once equalized by the Zhang-Townsend duo, but in an instant, due to the errors from the Zhang-Townsend duo, the chance was returned to Gauff's team, leading to their eventual loss.

Missing the Montreal 1000-series doubles championship left everyone feeling deep sympathy for Zhang Shuai, not only because it couldn't compensate for her withdrawal from the Cincinnati 1000-series qualifiers but also due to two other matters: first, she couldn't secure the eighth position in the doubles world ranking with the 1000 championship points; second, she lost out on the champion's prize money of $262,780, equivalent to about 1.88 million RMB.

Now, after losing this crucial match, it has completely dashed the two good plans that fans and netizens had arranged for Zhang Shuai and Townsend before the match.

Of course, the loss of Zhang Shuai and Townsend was not due to a lack of skill; it may also be related to bad luck at critical moments. Therefore, many people still promptly sent them encouragement, hoping they could bounce back in Cincinnati and make up for the losses in Montreal.

If Zhang Shuai's loss in Montreal left people with only a sigh of helplessness, then Guo Hanyu's exit in Cincinnati is even more heartbreaking.

Little Guo, who participated in the Cincinnati qualifiers, was once thought to have a chance to secure a main draw ticket after showcasing a spectacular scene of fried dough sticks and duck eggs in the first round.

In the second round against the German veteran Siegmund, some said it didn't matter that she was the top seed; as long as little Guo maintained the same form as in the first round, she could win and take revenge for Zheng Qinwen, who lost to Siegmund at the Australian Open.

Unexpectedly, little Guo truly did not disappoint. The fierce and precise attacking style she displayed in the first round only lasted a few games in the first set before rapidly declining, resulting in a swift 2-6 loss in the first set.

Although Guo Hanyu managed to level the match by winning the second set 7-5, many believed it was due to Siegmund's physical issues at a critical moment. Otherwise, had little Guo continued to follow the rhythm set by the German veteran, frequently being outmaneuvered and toyed with, the match would have likely ended in a straightforward two-set victory for Siegmund.

Surprisingly, in the deciding set, Guo Hanyu, who is ten years younger than Siegmund, surprisingly lacked the physical condition of the German veteran. While Siegmund did not falter due to physical issues, the younger Guo Hanyu frequently experienced discomfort, ultimately losing the final set 3-6. After a grueling 3 hours and 14 minutes, she missed out on advancing from back-to-back tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati for the 1000 series main draw.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moon River's Galaxy)