Chinese Hanyu Upsets Cirstea in Thrilling Wuhan Open Match

News Desk

WUHAN: Chinese wildcard Guo Hanyu staged a remarkable comeback to defeat 12th-seeded Romanian Sorana Cirstea 1-6, 7-6(8/6), 7-5 in the first round of the Wuhan Open on Tuesday.

Guo, a doubles specialist ranked 240th in singles, entered the match seeking only her third career tour-level victory.

The 28-year-old from Zhengzhou fought back from a set and a daunting 0-4 deficit against Cirstea, saving three match points in a tense second-set tiebreak before overcoming a 3-5 deficit in the final set to clinch the victory after two hours and 41 minutes.

After the match, an emotional Guo revealed to Chinese media that her performance was motivated by her father’s serious illness, which has affected her mentally and emotionally.

“Knowing this actually made me feel quite helpless,” Guo expressed. “I cannot just have a happy moment on the court and enjoy the game. I will always have a kind of sorrow, so that’s why I made a lot of efforts today.”

Guo’s victory sets her up for a challenging second-round match against American Katie Volynets, ranked 88th in the world, as she aims to advance to the round of 16 in this prestigious tournament.