Australian Open: Zhang celebrates birthday with Volynet win, meets Pliskova in last 16
Shuai Zhang won against Katie Volynets 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday on her 34th birthday
China’s Zhang Shuai in action during her third round match at the 2023 Australian Open
Image Credit: AI/Reuters/Panoramic
Chinese Shuai Zhang, the No 23 seed, advanced to the last 16 of the Australian Open by beating American qualifier Katie Volynets 6-3, 6-2 at Melbourne Park.
It was a happy birthday for Zhang, ranked No 22, who celebrated her 34th birthday on Saturday. She next plays Czech Karolina Pliskova, the No 30 seed, for a place in the quarter-finals.
In the previous rounds, the 34-year-old Chinese, who is a two-time Grand Slam women’s doubles champion and a two-time Grand Slam singles quarter-finalist, beat Romanian Patricia Maria Tig (6-1, 4-6, 6-0) and Croat Petra Martic (6-3, 6-3).
Volynets, ranked No 113, came through the qualifying draw and then beat Russian Evgeniya Rodina (6-3, 6-2) and Russian Veronika Kudermetova, the No 9 seed (6-4, 2-6, 6-2) earlier in the tournament.
Australian Open (Grand Slam), other third-round results (Melbourne Park, hard, USD 24,297,942, most recent results first):
- Magda Linette vs. Ekaterina Alexandrova
- Laura Siegemund vs. Caroline Garcia
- Linda Fruhvirtova vs. Marketa Vondrousova
- Aryna Sabalenka vs. Elise Mertens
- Camila Giorgi vs. Belinda Bencic
- Donna Vekic beat Nuria Parrizas Diaz: 6-2, 6-2
- Karolina Pliskova beat Varvara Gracheva: 6-4, 6-2
- Lin Zhu beat Maria Sakkari (6): 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-4
- Victoria Azarenka (24) beat Madison Keys (10): 1-6, 6-2, 6-1
- Iga Swiatek (1) beat Cristina Bucsa (Q): 6-0, 6-1
- Jelena Ostapenko (17) beat Kateryna Baindl: 6-3, 6-0
- Coco Gauff (7) beat Bernarda Pera: 6-3, 6-2
- Jessica Pegula (3) beat Marta Kostyuk: 6-0, 6-2
- Elena Rybakina (22) beat Danielle Collins (13): 6-2, 5-7, 6-2
- Barbora Krejcikova (20) beat Anhelina Kalinina: 6-2, 6-3
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