Cincinnati, 18 August 2022 (TDI): Chinese Tennis Player Zhang Shuai advanced to the second round of the Western & Southern Open after knocking out Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-4 in 1 hour and 9 minutes.
She will fight for a quarter-final berth against second-seeded Anett Kontaveit next. Western & Southern Open is an annual hardcourt tennis event at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Cincinnati.
The Western & Southern Open attracts the biggest names in the sport. Superstar players come to compete in the event. In 2022, the event will run from August 13 to 21.
China’s Zhang Shuai into the last 16 in Cincinnati
Zhang has played 45 matches this year across all court surfaces. This year, Zhang has won 65.6% of her service games and 33.2% of her return games.
On hard courts, Zhang has won 30.6% of the return games and 65.3% of the service games. Moreover, this is the first time that Zhang Shuai has reached the last 16 in Cincinnati, with the live ranking rising to 39th.
Alexandrova eliminated Zhang in April’s Stuttgart Open. Zhang Shuai said, “I am happy to win today’s match because my opponent was very strong and it was tough every time.
I played against her in the past. I am satisfied with my performance today because I saw myself improve in many aspects.”
History of Western & Southern Open
The competition was first held in 1899 as the Cincinnati Open. The tournament was held on grounds currently owned by Xavier University and was played on clay courts at the Avondale Athletic Club.
The tournament had various changed names and resettlement over the years. The first name was the Tri-State Tennis Tournament in 1901, which it retained until 1969.
By 1979, it switched to hardcourts, when the tournament moved to Mason. In 2022, the event is happening in Cincinnati.
The event was first sponsored by the Western & Southern Financial Group in 2002. Moreover, in 2011 the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters and Women’s Open was renamed the Western & Southern Open.
Student of BS International Relations in Kinnaird College for Women. Currently, working in 'TDI' as a contributor.
