Zhu Lin’s thrilling scripted comedy finale secured a strong start, but on the 13th, only two out of seven Chinese players are favored to win.

The first win for Chinese players at this Australian Open is here! While this is a joyful moment, fans and netizens still said Zhu Lin’s drama was terrifying.

As the lead player representing the Chinese tennis team in the Australian Open qualifiers, everyone was especially pleased for Zhu Lin when the draw was released. Facing Pigossi in round one, as long as Zhu Lin stayed steady, winning should have been straightforward for the Chinese star.

This was also clearly reflected in the odds set by bookmakers for the match: Zhu Lin was at 1 to 1.18, while Pigossi was at 1 to 4.5.

Everyone was expecting a relaxed match, eager to see Zhu Lin sweep through from the first set and ready to celebrate her early victory, but unexpectedly, the Chinese star suddenly showcased some serious scriptwriting skills, turning the live broadcast atmosphere tense and suspenseful.

It’s unclear whether Pigossi was possessed by a fighting spirit or Zhu Lin was overconfident or slow to warm up, but Zhu Lin lost her first service game in the opening set to her opponent.

What seemed like a mere accident turned serious when Zhu Lin trailed 0-2 but failed to rally quickly. Instead, she appeared almost sleepwalking, allowing Pigossi to dominate with no resistance. Especially when Zhu Lin lost her service game again in the fifth game, falling behind 1-4, many fans and netizens declared, “Zhu the scriptwriter’s first set is lost.”

Just when everyone thought Zhu Lin would lose the first set, starting from the sixth game, the Chinese star suddenly seemed injected with energy, winning five consecutive games and shocking Pigossi, who couldn’t believe that the Zhu Lin she had been controlling was now escaping danger and taking the set 6-4.

To be precise, Zhu Lin’s collapse and then unexpected strong comeback in the first set exceeded everyone’s expectations. However, her ability to handle such pressure and ultimately prevail in the first set led fans and netizens to joke before the second set even began that after such a dramatic first set, Zhu Lin probably wouldn’t dare to “script” again—after all, a heart attack is one thing, but getting herself knocked out would be too costly.

It must be said, Zhu Lin’s mindset is best left unguessed; not only is it hard to figure out, but guessing might also end up scaring herself again.

After a fierce battle that tied the score in the first four games of the second set, everyone believed that even if Zhu Lin couldn’t control the match, she would at least hold her service games and give Pigossi no chance. Unexpectedly, Zhu Lin lost her service game quickly, allowing Pigossi to break and take a 3-2 lead.

Fortunately, Zhu Lin once again summoned her fighting spirit at a critical moment, pushing hard after 4-4 and winning two straight points to close the second set at 6-4, sealing the match.

After the match, many remarked that judging by the two 6-4 scores, those who hadn’t watched would think Zhu Lin’s win was comfortable. No one would imagine this match was a rollercoaster, testing everyone’s nerves almost throughout. Thankfully, the match ended safely, allowing everyone to finally endure that frustrating ordeal.

Although Zhu Lin ultimately lived up to the bookmakers’ confidence by securing a winning start in the Australian Open qualifiers, she must be very cautious facing the 9th seed Kassintseva next.

Kassintseva previously faced Zhu Lin at the Madrid 1000 tournament where the Andorran player swept Zhu Lin in two sets, handing her an early exit.

From Kassintseva’s comeback win over Krochi in the first round of the Australian Open qualifiers, her form looks good. This means Zhu Lin cannot afford the kind of inconsistent performance she showed in the first round if she wants to fight for a spot in the final round of qualifiers; otherwise, the odds won’t be in her favor.

After Zhu Lin led off the Chinese tennis team’s campaign in the Australian Open qualifiers, a larger Chinese squad will take the stage on January 13.

Ma Yexin, Wei Sijia, Wu Yibing, Yuan Yue, Guo Hanyu, Bai Zhuoxuan, and Gao Xinyu — these seven Chinese players will compete from 7 a.m. to past 3 p.m. Beijing time that day. Who will follow Zhu Lin’s footsteps to advance is eagerly awaited.

According to current bookmaker odds for these seven Chinese players, only Wu Yibing and Yuan Yue are highly favored; Wei Sijia and Guo Hanyu have a chance to win; the others will likely need to outperform their opponents significantly to progress, at least based on odds.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlight River’s Starry Sky)