It was a power-packed Wednesday at the Australian Open as the Chinese mainland’s Zhang Shuai and Belgium’s Elise Mertens delivered a clinic on doubles tennis, outclassing Romania’s Sorana Cirstea and Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya 6-4, 6-2.
The momentum shifted early when Zhang and Mertens broke serve in game three of the first set. From there, they traded rallies with their opponents until another key break sealed the opening set 6-4. 🎾
The second set saw Cirstea and Kalinskaya switch to an aggressive net game, racing to a 2-0 lead. But Zhang and Mertens regrouped instantly, leveling at 2-2 and then turning up the heat to close it out 6-2 with some slick volleys and rock-solid teamwork. 🔥
Not to be outdone, Chinese mainland duo Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan also cruised into the second round, defeating Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic and Mexico’s Renata Zarazua 6-4, 6-2. They jumped out to a 3-1 lead in set one and never looked back, then blitzed the second set 6-2.
Both pairs will now eye bigger challenges as they chase the coveted Australian Open trophy. Stay tuned for more smash hits from #AO2026! 🏆
Reference(s):
Zhang, Mertens pick up women's doubles victory at Australian Open
cgtn.com
