CHINA TOPIX

11/21/2024 07:57:54 pm

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Tennis News: Zhang Shuai Loses to Johanna Konta in the Quarterfinals of the 2016 China Open

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(Photo : gettyimages.com) The 27-year-old Zhang suffered her third straight loss of the season against Konta.

The 2016 China Open campaign of the home crowd favorite Zhang Shuai has come to an end after losing to the current top-ranked female British player Johanna Konta in their quarterfinal showdown on Friday with a 6-4, 6-0 defeat at the Diamond Court of the National Tennis Center in Beijing.

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The 27-year-old Zhang suffered her third straight loss of the season against Konta, who also won over the Chinese tennis ace at the Australian Open last January and at the Wuhan Open last week.

It was also the fourth match that the British player prevailed over Zhang in their five official meetings. Zhang last won against Konta on 2013 at the Guangzhou Open in China.

Zhang, who is current the highest-ranked female Chinese tennis player in the world at No. 36, was on the front seat after establishing an early 4-0 lead in the opening set. However, the right-handed Tianjin-native went short as Konta impressively won 12 games in a row to score a spectacular come from behind victory in front of Zhang's home fans, according to The Guardian.

"Even though it was 12 games in a row, the scoreline was a lot closer," the 25-year-old Konta, who currently ranks No. 14 in the latest WTA world ranking result, said.

"Every single point was a really high level. I had to fight a lot at the end and I'm really happy to get through," the British winner added.

With the victory, Konta has increased her chances of qualifying for the upcoming season-ending WTA Finals in Singapore later this month.

The British No. 1 player is currently in the 11th place position and a favorable result in the tournament will move her closer in landing a slot in the prestigious tennis event before the Hong Kong Open next week.

According to Express, Konta will meet Madison Keys of the United States in the semifinals after the eighth seeded American eliminates Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-7, 7-6.

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