Kunming: China's top female tennis player Wang Qiang crashed out of the Chinese Tennis Association (CTA) Tour after losing in a three-set thriller 6-4, 4-6, 6-10 against Yang Ziyi in the round of 16 on Wednesday.
Wang, world No. 29 and top seed of the tournament in southwest China's city of Anning, had a good start against 22-year-old Yang in the match and won the first set with a comfortable 6-4 margin, reports a news agency.
Yang battled back in the second set 6-4 to level the score, with strong serves and solid baseline play.
In the final set, a 10-point tiebreaker, Yang won four points in a row after a 6-6 tie, securing a surprise victory against Wang.
"I found Wang's serves became weak in the final set and decided to play more aggressively," said Yang, who was thrilled to beat her idol, Wang.
"This is so far the best match of my career. I'll be more confident," Yang added.
Earlier on Saturday, Wang Qiang announced that she will not attend the U.S. Open and the Cincinnati Masters this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She will also put an end to her partnership with coach Thomas Drouet for the same reason.
"I'm very sad that I have to make this announcement," Wang said on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform.
She went on to explain that "Due to travel restrictions and safety concerns, my team and I have to withdraw from Western & Southern Open and U.S. Open. It is a tough decision for me. I want to thank everyone for the extraordinary effort and hope to see you all next year in the U.S."
"Under those circumstances, Thomas and I cannot team up for matches and regular training. After discussion, we have to put an end to our journey by mutual agreement. I want to thank him for his help and instructions along the way and everything he sacrificed for me. I'm forever grateful! All my best wishes to Thomas and his beautiful family!"
Wang's decision means she gave up the whole U.S. tennis season, which has been hindered by the coronavirus pandemic.
Having been sitting at No. 29 on the Women's Tennis Association's (WTA) latest world ranking, Wang is the highest-ranked Chinese single player in women's tennis. Last year, she met and defeated World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty in the fourth-round competition of the U.S. Open to make the quarterfinals, creating her best record in Grand Slam events. In January, Wang knocked out Serena Williams in the third-round in the Australian Open, creating her best record for the event.
Before Wang, Barty said she will not attend the U.S. Open because of the pandemic.
Commenting on the move, three-time Grand Slam title winner Andy Murray said: "The Ash Barty withdrawal, I think we will see it quite a bit. I have heard some of the top male players aren't going to play. I would expect that would be the case. It's everyone's personal decision."
