Chinese tennis star Zhang Shuai delivered a thrilling performance at the 2025 Wuhan Open on Aug 8, advancing to the women's singles round of 16 after a hard-fought win against Romania's Sorana Cirstea, securing victory in a three-set battle with scores of 6-4, 3-6, and 6-4.

Zhang Shuai advances to the women's singles round of 16. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

The match kicked off at 2:30 pm, with Zhang quickly finding her rhythm amid enthusiastic cheers from the home crowd, allowing her to claim the first set 6-4. The second set was a fierce contest, with Cirstea leveling the match with a 6-3 win. In the deciding third set, Zhang regained momentum, winning five consecutive games to seal the win and a spot in the round of 16.

Sorana Cirstea ties the match. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

This victory marks Zhang's second singles win at this year's Wuhan Open and her second time reaching the round of 16 in seven years, which stands as her best performance. In the quarterfinals, Zhang will face Coco Gauff, who defeated Japan's Moyuka Uchijima 6-1 and 6-0 in her second-round match.

On the same day, China's Yuan Yue was edged out by seventh seed Jasmine Paolini, losing 6-3, 4-6, and 3-6, exiting the event in the round of 32. Other notable players advancing to the round of 16 include sixth seed Jessica Pegula, third seed Coco Gauff, Denmark's Clara Tauson, Czech rising star Linda Noskova, and eighth seed Elena Rybakina, each securing victories in their respective matches.