Tennis: ‘Is this real?’ Tearful Zhu of China stuns sixth seed Sakkari in Melbourne

MELBOURNE – China’s Zhu Lin was left in tears by the end of her match on Friday night. “Is this real? Am I in a dream?“ she sobbed.

The emotional world No. 87 had just stunned sixth seed Maria Sakkari 7-6 (7-3), 1-6, 6-4, with the Greek becoming the latest major casualty at the Australian Open.

Zhu, whose 29th birthday will be on women’s singles final day next Saturday, is into the last 16 and a date with former champion Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.

The Chinese player had lost all seven of her previous encounters against top-10 players.

But nobody would have known it on Margaret Court Arena in a late-night encounter that went past midnight and, fittingly, into Chinese New Year’s Eve.

The underdog celebrated the Year of the Rabbit by taking the first set on a tiebreak.

Though she dropped the second as Sakkari finally woke up, Zhu regrouped to secure her biggest win and then burst into a flood of tears.

“Words can’t describe how I feel right now. Thank you, my team, and thank you for pushing me every day to become a better player,” she said, looking to her player’s box.

“I wouldn’t be here without you guys. I also want to thank you (the fans) all for coming to support, it really means a lot to me.

“Can I say a few words in Chinese? It’s Chinese New Year’s Eve today.”

She proceeded to wish her fans a happy holiday in her native language, before adding in English: “It’s just I have to believe in myself that I have the ability to be able to play at this high level and I need to work hard every day.

“And, yeah, who knows what’s going to happen? You never know. Thank you so much, guys!”

Zhu had never got beyond the second round at Melbourne Park – or any other Slam – but now finds herself facing the 2012 and 2013 champion Azarenka for a place in the quarter-finals.

The Belarusian 24th seed, now aged 33, earlier knocked out American 10th seed Madison Keys 1-6, 6-2, 6-1 to reach the fourth round for the second year in succession.

Meanwhile, world No. 1 Iga Swiatek fired a warning to her rivals with a crushing 6-0, 6-1 win over Spanish qualifier Cristina Bucsa in just 55 minutes.

The French and US Open champion will now face a showdown with Wimbledon title holder Elena Rybakina for a place in the quarter-finals.

The Pole sprinted to victory and missed out on a “double bagel” – 6-0, 6-0 – only when Bucsa, ranked 100th, finally held her serve at 5-0 in the second set.

The three-time Grand Slam winner – she also triumphed at Roland Garros in 2020 – will meet Moscow-born Kazakh Rybakina after she beat 2022 runner-up Danielle Collins 6-2, 5-7, 6-2.

“We played recently in Dubai,” said Swiatek of Rybakina, the 22nd seed. “It wasn’t a tournament, it was an exhibition. So we know each other pretty well.

“We also played in juniors, but you know, we both made such a progress that it doesn’t really matter what happened a couple of years ago.”

Rybakina said Swiatek, who seems to be getting better as the tournament progresses, would be a very difficult prospect.

“For sure she’s very strong physically and mentally,” she said. “I think that if I’m going to play my game, aggressive, I’m going to have to be solid from the beginning till the end.”

Americans Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula were also big winners, ensuring that normal order was restored on the fifth day at Melbourne Park following the shocks of a day earlier, when world No. 2 Ons Jabeur

was the biggest casualty in the women’s draw

.

But that was before Sakkari exited the tournament.

The 18-year-old Gauff stepped up her bid for a maiden major title with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over compatriot Bernarda Pera.

Third seed Pegula, who is also chasing a first Grand Slam crown, similarly made light work of Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk with a 6-0, 6-2 victory.

AFP, REUTERS