Four Chinese tennis players blasted through their first-round Australian Open qualifiers on Tuesday, mixing comeback stories with nail-biting finishes 🎾. Yuan Yue, Wu Yibing, Bai Zhuoxuan, and Ma Yexin all secured wins at Melbourne Park, while teammates faced tough exits.
Yuan staged a dramatic reversal against America's Louisa Chirico, rallying from 0-4 down in the first set to claim victory 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. 'I kept telling myself to play every point like it's match point,' the 25th-seeded player later told reporters.
Men's hopeful Wu Yibing battled both a cold and Mitchell Krueger, firing 41 winners in his 7-5, 6-4 win. 'My sneezes had more power than his serves 😷💥,' Wu joked post-match.
The day's feel-good story came from Bai Zhuoxuan, who dominated Russia's Alina Korneeva 6-4, 6-3 after missing most of 2025 due to injury. Meanwhile, 17-year-old Austrian Lilli Tagger ended Gao Xinyu's run in a grueling three-set thriller.
With main draw spots on the line, Ma Yexin faces Elvina Kalieva next after her 6-1, 6-3 win over Varvara Lepchenko. Players need three straight wins to reach the Open's main event starting Sunday.
