Zhu Lin suffered a straight-sets loss and was overturned, with the new season’s first victory still elusive; Zhang Zhizhen’s defeat showed he was simply outmatched.

Following the two crucial singles clashes between China and Canada at the United Cup, the atmosphere shifted from earlier celebrations over defeating Belgium to quietness, as the significance of losing both singles matches to Canada was clear to all.

As with the January 3rd match against Belgium, China again sent their key players Zhu Lin and Zhang Zhizhen to compete against Mboko and Auger-Aliassime in the encounter with Canada.

Before the match, many speculated that Zhu Lin would likely be swept aside by the Canadian prodigy Mboko; the disparity in betting odds—Mboko at 1.25 and Zhu Lin at 4—only reinforced this belief.

Perhaps Zhu Lin, aware of the low expectations from the public, felt frustrated and immediately adopted an all-out fighting attitude from the very first set.

Zhu Lin’s strategy unexpectedly worked wonders. Rather than the predicted one-sided match with Mboko dominating early, the Chinese star started with a dreamlike 4-0 lead and ultimately took the first set decisively at 6-2, earning widespread respect.

Such a performance from Zhu Lin surprised many viewers watching the live broadcast. Some commented that after her heavy defeat to Mertens in the United Cup’s first round, Zhu Lin was still chasing her first singles win of the new season, and if she maintained this form, not only could she defeat Mboko to score for China, but she might also secure her first singles victory of the season very soon.

Initially, it was assumed that the young Mboko, having won only two games in the first set, would struggle to recover quickly, but many underestimated this talented Canadian youngster.

Forced into a corner with no way out by Zhu Lin, Mboko proved once again that her reputation as a prodigy is well earned, showing remarkable skill and resilience.

As Mboko launched her counterattack starting from the second set, the momentum shifted dramatically. Zhu Lin appeared unsettled and lost the sharpness she had in the first set, eventually dropping the second set 2-6, allowing the Canadian to even the match.

After the first two sets ended with identical scores, many believed Zhu Lin might have been unprepared for the challenge initially but would surely summon her fearless spirit and determination in the decisive set to fight hard and avoid being overturned.

However, after those two sets, fans and observers were stunned. Instead of a resurgence of Zhu Lin’s fighting spirit, she completely collapsed under Mboko’s pressure and lost the final set without winning a game, allowing Mboko to complete a strong comeback.

Many were puzzled by Zhu Lin’s faltering finish, saying that even if she couldn’t win the match, her initial performance should not have led to such an embarrassing shutout in the final set.

Some emphasized that if Zhu Lin had maintained even half of her first-set form in the second set, she might have still had a chance to win and secure her first singles victory this season; the drastic contrast in her performance was truly astonishing.

After Zhu Lin’s reversal loss to Mboko, Zhang Zhizhen faced enormous pressure as he stepped onto the court against Auger-Aliassime.

Before the match, like Zhu Lin, Zhang Zhizhen was also not favored by bookmakers: his odds were 5, while Auger-Aliassime’s were 1.17.

From their head-to-head, despite Zhang’s fighting spirit and strong effort to replicate his performance against Belgium’s Bellier, Auger-Aliassime proved superior, and the gap in skill soon made the match’s outcome clear.

After Auger-Aliassime defeated Zhang Zhizhen 6-4, 6-4, criticism toward Zhang faded, with many acknowledging that the former top Chinese player gave his best, and the loss was due to being outmatched rather than lack of ability; achieving such scores was already commendable with little room for complaint.

Some remarked that the biggest regret for Zhang Zhizhen was not being able to extend the match to three sets like Zhu Lin did, but Auger-Aliassime simply gave no chance, which was beyond Zhang’s control. Following the mixed doubles defeat by Mboko and Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 6-3 to You Xiaodi and Terigele, China was officially eliminated from the United Cup quarterfinals, marking their worst result in nearly three years. (Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moon River’s Starry Sky)