The Chinese tennis team has secured its first victory of the new season! Zhang Shuai fought for 115 minutes to avoid a comeback and returned to the TOP 80.

Following Zhang Shuai and the Chinese tennis team’s first match of the new season, many expressed that this victory was extremely hard-earned and full of suspense!

Because Zhang Shuai is the sole Chinese female player entered in the Brisbane 500, how she performs will directly decide if the Chinese tennis squad’s season-opening triumph arrives promptly after the tour starts or if it will be postponed.

Although Zhang Shuai began her new season debut through the Brisbane qualifiers, the match was filled with twists even before it started.

Originally, Zhang Shuai’s first-round opponent was Armenian player Avanesyan. Many believed Zhang had a great chance for a season-opening win because Avanesyan was currently troubled by a nationality transfer dispute with the Russian Tennis Federation, making her situation quite difficult. Facing such an opponent, as long as Zhang played well, her chances of winning were very high.

However, before the match, some fans jokingly said everyone hoped Zhang could “take advantage” of Avanesyan’s situation, praying the Armenian player wouldn’t withdraw at this sensitive time—because if she did, Zhang’s winning odds against a replacement opponent might not be as favorable.

What started as a joke unexpectedly became reality. When news broke that Avanesyan withdrew, Zhang Shuai’s first-round opponent was immediately replaced by French player Ferroussier.

Why were some worried about Zhang facing Ferroussier? Although Ferroussier’s ranking had dropped outside the TOP 300 due to injury, her career-high singles ranking once reached 39, showing she has considerable skill. Moreover, Ferroussier is a player who can grind and attack effectively during long rallies. Considering the eight-year age difference, the younger and fitter Ferroussier seemed to have the upper hand.

Yet others argued that as long as Zhang maintained her rhythm and took the initiative to dominate early, it would be very difficult for the French player to defeat her.

Zhang’s approach matched this thinking; she started the first set with full intensity, quickly gaining a perfect 4-0 lead and firmly controlling the match’s momentum.

Once Ferroussier began to recover from the fifth game onward, Zhang’s relentless play left no chance for a comeback, and she comfortably took the first set 6-2.

It was expected that Zhang would close out the match in two sets at this pace, but everyone underestimated the French player’s strength and resilience.

Credit must be given to Ferroussier, who, despite being overwhelmed and nearly broken in the first set, quickly regained her fighting spirit in the second set—a truly impressive adjustment.

This shift by Ferroussier shattered hopes that Zhang would finish the match in straight sets.

In the intense battle against Ferroussier, Zhang, at 36 years old, began to show signs of physical fatigue. The French player seized the opportunity to win the second set 6-3, leveling the match.

In the decisive set, as both players’ form fluctuated, Ferroussier clearly took the upper hand, starting with a 2-0 lead, which made fans and viewers extremely anxious.

Some in the live chat wondered if Zhang could only play well for one set and if she was destined to be overturned early in the new season.

Seeing Zhang’s performance on court was less composed than in the first set, even though she managed to break back and restore balance, such worries never left the minds of Chinese tennis supporters.

Thankfully, at the crucial moment when she needed to prove herself, Zhang once again demonstrated that experience counts. In the vital tenth game, she forced two match points on Ferroussier’s serve and successfully converted one, winning the match after a grueling 1 hour and 55 minutes, relieving all fans and viewers.

With this qualifying victory, Zhang not only fired the first shot for herself and the Chinese tennis team’s new season but also pushed her ranking back into the TOP 80—triple joy indeed!

While everyone rejoiced over Zhang’s comeback victory, some netizens pointed out that another young Chinese player’s performance in the new season also deserves praise.

Chinese rising star Ren Yufei swept her opponent in just 69 minutes during the second round of the Nairobi 35-level tournament on New Year’s Day, advancing to the third round. By timing, she might actually be the first Chinese player to claim a season-opening win.

Although the tournament level is lower and cannot compare to the tour events, it still represents a good start. So, while praising Zhang Shuai, Ren Yufei should not be overlooked.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlit River’s Starry Sky)