Zhang Shuai is a 2-time Grand Slam Champion in doubles and had partnered with Indian great Sania Mirza to win the 2021 WTA Ostrava Open title.
The 33 yr old Chinese is on a great run this year and made it to the 4th round in Singles while still being active in the doubles and the mixed doubles events. This is her first time to make it to the 4th round of the US Open in singles and credited her good friend Sania Mirza in enabling her to focus after her 3rd round win.
In 2017, Zhang held a match point but couldn’t convert it during a third-round loss to Karolina Pliskova. She is happy to have broken that barrier five years later, and says she has been channelling her inner Sania Mirza – a good friend of hers – during her matches this week.
“Today I played unbelievably good, like Sania (Mirza) always does on the big matches, Rebecca played unbelievably good, so I tried to tell myself I should do what Sania says, she always says, ‘The final, always I play the best match’,” she said after her win over Rebecca Marino on Friday.
