The Chinese contingent has been delivering continuous good news, with Wu Yibing, Zhu Lin, Yuan Yue, Bai Zhuoxuan, and Huang Zelin just one win away from the main draw.

On January 14th, Beijing time, the second round of qualifying at the 2026 Australian Open unfolded, featuring five players from mainland China. Wu Yibing, Zhu Lin, Yuan Yue, and Bai Zhuoxuan emerged victorious, now only one win away from the main tournament. They are set to make their last attempt tomorrow. Ma Yexin was eliminated, and Hong Kong’s Huang Zelin also progressed to the decisive round.

Wu Yibing

Continuing his excellent form from the first round, Wu Yibing quickly found his rhythm today, breaking his opponent’s serve in the very first game. He then held his serve at love in the game to close out the set, taking the first set 6-4. In the second set, Wu elevated his level mid-way, widening the gap, and ultimately secured the win with a composed performance on his serve at match point, winning 6-4, 6-4. Wu Yibing will face American player Boye in the final qualifying round.

Zhu Lin

Zhu Lin crushed the 9th seed, 20-year-old Andorran player Cassinova, with a 6-1, 6-2 scoreline. She was in fiery form throughout the match, producing many impressive points. After trailing 0-1 in the first set, she went on an eight-game winning streak, dominating the match completely. Zhu Lin’s opponent in the final qualifying round will be Canadian player, 17th seed Stakusic.

Bai Zhuoxuan

Bai Zhuoxuan matched her compatriot Zhu Lin’s scoreline, also defeating French player Paquet 6-1, 6-2 to advance to the final qualifying round. She entered this Australian Open using a protected ranking, marking her first Grand Slam event since returning at the end of last year. Bai had qualified directly for the 2024 Australian Open based on ranking but missed that event last year due to injury. Her next opponent will be Czech player Widmannova.

Yuan Yue

Yuan Yue battled through a tough three-set match, winning 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-4 against Argentine player Carle to reach the final qualifying round. The match lasted over three hours. She has faced three-set battles in both prior qualifying rounds as well. In the deciding set, Yuan faced a 1-3 deficit but fought back from 2-4 down with four consecutive games, showing great resilience. She will compete against Zidansek for a spot in the main draw.

Huang Zelin

Hong Kong’s Huang Zelin displayed solid form, defeating Ruiz 7-6(7), 6-0 in the second qualifying round to reach the final stage, earning his second career win at the Australian Open. Huang recently reached the quarterfinals at last week’s ATP250 Hong Kong tournament, marking a breakthrough at his hometown event. Carrying this momentum into Melbourne, he aims to qualify for a Grand Slam main draw again after succeeding at the US Open qualifiers last year.

Ma Yexin

Foshan’s Ma Yexin, who played first on Court 13, was defeated 4-6, 2-6 by American Kellyva, ending her run in the second qualifying round. Kellyva has now beaten two Chinese players in this Australian Open qualifying event, including Wei Sijia and Ma Yexin. Ma returned to Grand Slam competition after more than a year since the 2024 US Open and recorded her third career Grand Slam match win (one each at the 2024 Australian Open and US Open). She currently has a strong chance to enter the French Open qualifiers this year.

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(Text and editing by Wang Fei; photos by Li Jianyi and Huang Shangyue)