Zhang Shuai's forced withdrawal makes Pegula a subject of shared sympathy, Wang Xiyu gifts herself a birthday present at age 25.

After the external anticipation for Zhang Shuai to win the Miami 1000 doubles title fell short prematurely, the 37-year-old Chinese veteran's farewell manner also left many expressing surprise and regret!

Since partnering with Mertens to appear on the Miami doubles court, everyone wanted to see if this newly crowned Australian Open doubles champion duo could break through the encirclement of strong opponents and reach the top in Miami doubles.

The confidence in Zhang Shuai stemmed from her advancement situation in Miami doubles being somewhat similar to that at the Australian Open earlier this year.

Back then, after all other Chinese players were eliminated, Zhang Shuai, as the last remaining hope, carried the banner of Chinese tennis, lifting it to the Australian Open doubles final day, ultimately making the joyous victory glow alongside this touch of Chinese red, thrilling everyone.

After Xu Yifan and Jiang Xinyuan stopped in the quarterfinals, and Zhang Shuai advanced to the Miami 1000 doubles semifinals once again becoming the sole Chinese contender, this familiar scene emerged, naturally stirring a heart-thumping anticipation.

Although facing the top-seeded duo Errani and Paolini in the semifinals was not easy, Zhang Shuai and Mertens were certainly not weak; being so close to the final and just two wins away from the championship, this dual motivation made many highly optimistic that Zhang Shuai's pair could defeat the top seeds and enter the final, gazing closely at the championship trophy.

However, unexpected circumstances arrived prematurely! When Zhang Shuai's pair trailed 1-2, Mertens ultimately could not continue after calling a medical timeout and decided to withdraw, forcing Zhang Shuai to also end her Miami journey abruptly, shattering the championship hopes directly.

“The anticipated championship vanished, only the manner of missing it arrived too suddenly.” Seeing Zhang Shuai and Mertens shake hands with Errani and Paolini preparing to leave, some remarked that despite feeling a suffocating distress, they had to forcibly suppress it, deeply regretting Zhang Shuai missing the Miami doubles title in this way.

After Zhang Shuai ended her Miami journey due to Mertens' withdrawal, it also meant Chinese players completely disappeared from this 1000-level tournament, the final results being: the best singles performance was the round of 16, presented by Zheng Qinwen; the best doubles performance was Zhang Shuai's semifinal, Zhang being the Chinese player who progressed furthest in Miami this year.

Post-match, while some lamented Errani and Paolini's burst of luck, Pegula and her partner Hunter became objects of shared sympathy across the internet.

When Pegula's pair met Zhang Shuai's pair in the quarterfinals, this match was hailed as one of the most thrilling contests in Miami doubles this year.

After the first two sets ended evenly, entering the decisive tiebreak, facing Pegula's pair holding four match points, Zhang Shuai's pair launched a textbook counterattack, ultimately not only courageously saving four match points but also completing a stunning reversal to triumph, securing a precious doubles semifinal spot.

Just as everyone wanted to see if Zhang Shuai's pair could extend this dominance into the semifinal against Errani and Paolini, locking a doubles final ticket, unexpectedly they ended up conceding the entire match victory via withdrawal.

Some said, if they had known Zhang Shuai's pair would bid farewell to Miami in this manner, perhaps it would have been better to let Pegula's pair enter the semifinals; regardless of whether they could win, at least they wouldn’t withdraw hastily after just three games, surely completing the match normally.

The sorrow stirred by Zhang Shuai's forced withdrawal in Miami was soon blown away by the joyful news from Wang Xiyu.

Wang Xiyu, returning from injury, resumed from a low-level challenger in Ma'anshan, after winning the W35-level event, then moved to the W50-level event, through her efforts, on her 25th birthday advanced to the final, presenting herself a special celebratory gift.

In the final, Wang Xiyu will compete with Guo Hanyu for the championship; this internal clash among Chinese players is teased by some fans and netizens as truly keeping the benefits within domestic circles—the event held in China's Ma'anshan, with Chinese players securing both champion and runner-up spots beforehand, feels fantastic!

Wang Xiyu and Guo Hanyu have faced each once before, occurring in the first round of last year's China Open, where Wang (the left-handed girl) emerged victorious.

From their respective performances advancing to the final, both won after full three-set battles against opponents, with similar form; ultimately who lifts the championship trophy depends on whose on-site performance is better. However, from current public discussion, Wang Xiyu is more favored!（Source: Tennis Home Author: Moon River's Starry Sky）