Cinderella Story Continues For Zhang Shuai With Fourth Round Win Over Madison Keys At 2016 Australian Open

Zhang Shuai (click to enlarge)

Rarely does my favorite active player lose yet I cheer a result. Well, maybe cheer isn’t the right word. I clearly would have preferred Madison Keys to win her fourth round match at the 2016 Australian Open against qualifier Zhang Shuai. That didn’t happen as Zhang took out a an injury hobbled Keys, 3-6 6-3 6-3. Despite my despondency with Maddie’s loss, the Cinderella story of Shuai is too inspiring for me to feel anything but happy for the budding Chinese star. And with Maddie’s injury, it would have been unlikely that she could have won the tournament. Although she doesn’t have the name recognition of the other players in the quarterfinals, Great Britain’s Johanna Konta is known to hardcore tennis fans for the way she has played over the last 6 to 8 months. Zhang Shuai will have to be ready for a stern test from Konta, who “upset” (not really) both Venus Williams and Ekaterina Makarova already down under. But so long as Shuai is still in it, I’ll root for her to win it.