Zhang extends dream run to last 8
Print Edition
CHINA’S Zhang Shuai became the first women’s qualifier since 1990 to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals after beating a hobbling Madison Keys 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 yesterday.
The 15th-seeded Keys had comfortably won the opening set but was broken by the Chinese in the third game of the second and immediately took a medical time out for treatment to what appeared to be a left leg injury.
American Keys then found it difficult to move around the court and the 27-year-old Zhang used that to her advantage to make the American chase the ball and send it to a decider.
Keys, a semifinalist last year, looked on the verge of retiring several times in the deciding set but battled on grimly despite pain. The 133rd-ranked Zhang struggled to control her nerves in the decider, but eventually held it together to set up a quarterfinal against unseeded Briton Johanna Konta.
The last qualifier to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals was Mexico’s Angelica Gavaldon in 1990.
“I was very lucky today,” a smiling Zhang said. The Tianjin native said she heard spectators saying “quarterfinals, quarterfinals” during the match and “it makes me very nervous!”
Zhang had never won a grand slam match before this year’s Australian Open, entering with a 0-14 record at the majors.
Earlier, Andy Murray put personal distractions aside to beat Bernard Tomic and advance to the quarterfinals. Two nights ago his father-in-law was rushed to the hospital from a nearby court while Andy Murray was playing.
Yesterday, an agitated Murray yelled and berated himself, and had trouble at times before winning 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (4) in a scrappy match against the last Australian in the draw.
“Definitely on the court tonight I was more emotional than normal,” he said. “I was talking to myself after every single point almost from the first point through till the last, which was obviously not ideal.”
Murray’s wife, Kim, is due to have their first baby next month, and Murray has said he’ll leave the tournament any time if he has to rush back to Britain to be with her. The sudden illness of Kim’s father, Nigel Sears, in Melbourne had the two-time champion again reconsidering whether to stay or go.
“It’s been a stressful few days, but I’ll try to rest up the next few days to get ready for the next one,” Murray said.
Next for Murray will be No. 8 David Ferrer, who held off No. 10-seeded John Isner 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.
In the other quarter, Milos Raonic persevered with his serve-and-volley game plan and withstood a strong comeback from 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka, advancing to the quarterfinals 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-3. He’ll be facing No. 23 Gael Monfils, who reached the last eight in Australia for the first time in 11 trips with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over Andrei Kuznetsov.
Also, two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka advanced with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Barbora Strycova 6-2, 6-4. Azarenka next faces No. 7 Angelique Kerber, who beat fellow German Annika Beck 6-4, 6-0.
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