Wuhan Open: Wang Xinyu saves matchpoints to oust Alexandrova and reach semi-finals

China’s Wang Xinyu became the second lowest-ranked player to make the semi-finals of the WTA Wuhan Open on Friday after saving two matchpoints to oust Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova in a third set tiebreak.

Alexandrova started off the match by winning the first set 6-4 with the decisive break of serve coming in the seventh game. Xinyu kept the second set close and got the first and only break of the set in the 12th game to win it 7-5 and send the match into a decider.

In the decider, it was Alexandrova who broke early to go up 3-1. The Russian held that break and earned a matchpoint at 5-4 40-30 in the third. However, Xinyu fought back and was able to push the match into a winner-takes-all tiebreaker.

Xinyu began the tiebreak by running off to a 5-0 lead ebfore Alexandrova took the next six in a row to earn a second matchpoint. However, Xinyu saved that too and on her first matchpoint, she saw her Russian opponent dump a second serve into the net to complete the 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (6) at the Optics Valley International Tennis Center.

“It all came down to I think few points, especially in the tiebreak” – Wang Xinyu

“I’m super happy that I made it to my first semifinal in China. It’s extra special feeling for me. Playing in front of the home crowd here, I really enjoyed it,” Xinyu said said after her win. “It was really tough, tough match. Both of us, we left everything out there. It all came down to I think few points, especially in the tiebreak. I’m just super happy to get through to the next round.”

Xinyu, ranked No 51, will play the winner of the match between Chinese Qinwen Zheng, the No 5 seed, and Italian Jasmine Paolini, the No 3 seed, on Saturday.

Ahead of her win today, the Chinese defeated American Caroline Dolehide (6-4, 6-0), Italian lucky loser Lucia Bronzetti (4-6, 6-2, 6-4) and American Jessica Pegula, the second seed (6-3, 7-5).

Alexandrova, ranked No 33, won against American Sofia Kenin (6-1, 4-6, 6-4), No 10 seed Anna Kalinskaya (6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-1) and American qualifier Hailey Baptiste (6-1, 6-1) in the previous rounds of the tournament.

Wuhan WTA 1000, other quarter-final matches (Optics Valley International Tennis Center, hard, USD 3,221,715):

• Coco Gauff (4) beat Magda Linette: 6-0, 6-4
• Qinwen Zheng vs. Jasmine Paolini
• Aryna Sabalenka vs. Magdalena Frech

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