After a grueling 182-minute battle, Yuan Yue narrowly won and was teased for playing both tennis and a marathon, while Wu Yibing seemed to be injured again.

Although the Chinese tennis team’s progress in the second round of the Australian Open qualifiers remains promising, Yuan Yue and Wu Yibing have become major concerns as they stand just one step away from the main draw.

This year’s Australian Open qualifiers have posed a significant challenge to Yuan Yue both physically and mentally!

After unexpectedly becoming the victim of Kudermetova’s defeat in the Canberra 125 quarterfinals, Yuan Yue moved to Melbourne and, despite a disastrous start in the first set of the Australian Open qualifier, fought back over 1 hour and 52 minutes to overturn the American player Zhiliko. Her determination and competitive spirit are certainly commendable.

Before facing the Argentine player Calé in the second round, many fans and netizens expressed that after the tense first-round match against Zhiliko, they believed Yuan Yue would not take risks again. Since Calé is clearly stronger than Zhiliko, there might not be a chance for Yuan Yue to stage another comeback.

However, Yuan Yue remains an unpredictable enigma. After starting the first set with a 2-0 lead through breaks and holds, everyone expected her to maintain momentum and close out the set, putting pressure on Calé. Instead, she took on the role of a dramatist, losing four consecutive games and becoming the one chased, leaving fans and netizens puzzled about whether she was playing seriously or just inviting them to endure a rollercoaster ride with her.

What impressed everyone even more was that when expectations were low, Yuan Yue steadied herself and narrowly won the first set tiebreak.

The start of the second set mirrored the first exactly, with Yuan Yue once again opening with a perfect 2-0 lead.

But as the match went on, Yuan Yue again took the dramatist’s path, turning her lead into a 2-4 deficit. Unfortunately, luck did not favor her this time, and Calé took the second set 6-3 to level the match.

Yuan Yue’s fluctuating form led many viewers in the live broadcast to believe that after being broken first in the deciding set, she was likely to be overturned.

What was convincing about Yuan Yue was her ability to rise to the challenge under pressure. Realizing that if she didn’t fight back when pushed to the brink, she would be at the mercy of her opponent, Yuan Yue leveled the score at 4-4 and then surged ahead by winning two consecutive games, closing the match 6-4.

The match against Calé was nerve-wracking for all watching, and Yuan Yue played extremely hard, finally surviving after 3 hours and 3 minutes of intense play.

After the match, fans and netizens shared some amusing comments about Yuan Yue.

Some joked that in Melbourne, she was competing in both the Australian Open qualifiers and a marathon simultaneously—playing 1 hour 52 minutes in the first round against Zhiliko and 3 hours 3 minutes in the second round, totaling 4 hours and 55 minutes. Without strong willpower, it would be really hard to endure.

Others humorously said that Yuan Yue is constantly testing everyone’s heart, using marathon-like perseverance to secure two narrow victories, and wondered if the final qualifying round would be any easier.

Because Yuan Yue’s wins in these two qualifying rounds were so hard-fought, many are now worried whether her stamina can hold up in the final round.

Yuan Yue’s opponent in the final qualifying round has been confirmed as Zidansek, with their match scheduled for 9 a.m. Beijing time on the 15th. This high-stakes battle places even greater demands on Yuan Yue; to advance, she must find a way to resolve her instability from the previous rounds, or she risks being stopped short of the main draw. As a playful netizen put it, “If she ends up exhausted like a bull, it will all have been for nothing.”

Although Wu Yibing has also passed the second round of the Australian Open qualifiers and reached the final round, like Yuan Yue, his ability to enter the main draw remains a source of concern.

Before the match against Mejia, many predicted a strong chance of victory for the former Chinese No.1 based on his excellent first-round performance.

Unexpectedly, Wu Yibing called for a medical timeout as early as the seventh game of the first set, causing fans and netizens to worry and speculate whether he might suddenly withdraw.

Although Wu Yibing persevered and eventually beat Mejia 6-4, 6-4, considering his fragile physical condition and the medical timeout scene during the match, it remains uncertain whether he was battling through an injury or if it was just a minor issue without impact on his upcoming matches. His performance in the final qualifying round will be the true test.

Many now hope that Wu Yibing is fine and that the medical timeout was merely a scare for fans and netizens. Otherwise, with his current good form, it would be quite unfortunate if he were injured.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlight River’s Starry Sky)