BEIJING — The streak is over. Former World No.22 Zhang Shuai defeated McCartney Kessler 7-6(5), 7-6(1) on Wednesday in the first round of the China Open to snap her 24-match losing streak on the Hologic WTA Tour. The win was Zhang’s first since 2023 Lyon, ending a 603-day victory drought.
Beijing: Scores | Order of Play | Draws
In the Open Era, only one player has lost more than 24 straight matches, excluding Billie Jean King Cup. That came in the early days of the tour, when Madeleine Pegel lost her first 29 matches, from 1968 to 1972.
“I think that this is the perfect timing,” Zhang told WTA Insider after the win. “My first win at a WTA tournament was 15 years ago at China Open, and then the next day I beat the No.1 player [Dinara Safina in 2009].
“Maybe God has a plan.”
Zhang, 35, is one of a tournament-record 15 Chinese players in the main draw, but she entered Beijing on a wild card as the lowest-ranked player to ever compete in the tournament’s history at No.595. Last year, after feeling mentally and physically empty, she shut down her season after Montreal and took a six-month break.
She returned this year in Dubai. With just eight protected ranking entries at her disposal, the former World No.22 had to be strategic about where she opted to play. She chose tournaments that she enjoyed and where she played well. But her opening-round draws proved brutal.
“I played a lot of great players: Pliskova, Shnaider, Kudermetova, Kasatkina,” Zhang said. “It was like before when I lost the first round at the Grand Slams all the time.
“So I thought I have to challenge myself, but I am not young anymore. So I don’t have so many chances. I don’t have that many tournaments. I need a little bit better draw. I need at least one more win in my life.”
Facing down No.65 Kessler, Zhang came from a break down in the first set to break as the American served for the set and then closed out the tight tiebreak on her third set point.
Zhang came within a point of closing out the win when she served for the win at 5-4, but she struck a put-away swing volley into the netcord. The ball flew two feet above the net before landing back on her side, and Kessler went on to break to extend the…