BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) — Here are the latest Chinese sports headlines of the past week:
1. Zhang Shuai, Zhu Lin reach Australian Open last 16
China’s highest-ranked player Zhang Shuai brushed aside American qualifier Katie Volynets 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday to storm into the women’s singles fourth round of the Australian Open.
The 23rd-seeded Zhang gained a crucial break in the sixth game of the second set and then ran away with a one-sided victory in 63 minutes.
In the last 16, Zhang joins her compatriot Zhu Lin, who knocked out the sixth seed Maria Sakkari 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-4 in the biggest win of her career.
As the final match on day five of the Australian Open, the showdown between Zhu and Sakkari took two hours and 33 minutes, concluding at about 1:45 a.m. local time on Saturday.
2. 17-year-old Shang makes stunning debut at Australian Open
China’s Shang Juncheng on Monday made a stunning debut at the Australian Open, his first Gram Slam event, by powering into the second round with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (2), 7-5 victory over Germany’s Oscar Otte.
The 17-year-old became the first Chinese mainland men’s singles player to reach the second round of the Australian Open main draw in the Open Era (since 1968).
Shang was later defeated by the 16th seed Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 6-4, 6-1.
3. Shandong Taishan beat Zhejiang to lift third consecutive CFA Cup
Chinese shuttlers took women’s doubles and mixed doubles titles at the 2023 Malaysia Open finals on Sunday.
Women’s doubles pair Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan outmatched South Korea’s Baek Ha-na and Lee Yu-lim 21-16, 21-10 to clinch the title, while mixed doubles duo Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong defeated Japan’s Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino 21-19, 21-11 to successfully defend their title.
5. China sets up final clash with S. Korea at Winter World University Games in women’s curling
Gu Ailing claimed the halfpipe gold at Calgary on Thursday, making a strong return to the FIS Freeski World Cups.
Beijing 2022’s two gold and one silver winner did not compete in the FIS World Cup after the Winter Olympics but stunned the audience with 95 points from both the second and third run at Thursday’s women’s finals.
