Zhu Lin rallies past ailing Raducanu in Ningbo opener

On a balmy evening in Ningbo, the AUX Ningbo Open ignited with matches that exposed the fine line between resilience and fragility on these medium-paced hard courts. Three players carrying the weight of Grand Slam and WTA 1000 titles—Emma Raducanu, Victoria Mboko, and Marketa Vondrousova—stepped out hoping to reclaim momentum, only to encounter opponents who thrived on their vulnerabilities. The outdoor acrylic surfaces, with their grippy bounce and true pace, amplified endurance over raw power, setting the stage for tactical grinds that tested bodies and minds alike.

Returning champions stumble on return

Marketa Vondrousova’s first match since a knee injury sidelined her before her US Open quarterfinal against Aryna Sabalenka ended abruptly against Karolina Muchova, who claimed a 6-4, 6-3 win through steady baseline pressure. Muchova varied her shots with crosscourt topspin and occasional underspin slices, keeping Vondrousova off balance and exposing the world No. 6’s hesitant lateral movement. The all-Czech matchup, rich with shared history on varied surfaces, highlighted Muchova’s all-court versatility as she dictated long rallies that drained her compatriot’s energy early.

Victoria Mboko, riding the high of her August Montreal breakthrough, sought to snap a 0-4 skid but faltered against Dayana Yastremska’s aggressive play in a 6-3, 7-6(3) defeat. Yastremska powered through the opener with down-the-line backhands and a potent 1–2 serve-return combo, forcing Mboko into stretched defenses. Though Mboko built a 5-2 edge in the second by pinning her foe deep with flat groundstrokes, the Ukrainian reset with shorter points and net rushes, storming back to dominate the tiebreak and extend her opponent’s frustrations.

Zhu extends rallies to break Raducanu

Zhu Lin, ranked No. 219 and back as a wildcard after a six-month elbow absence that erased last year’s Chinese swing, faced Top 30 foe Emma Raducanu in a contest that swung on stamina. The 31-year-old started with unforced errors, yielding the first set 6-3 as Raducanu’s sharp angles and slice drops exploited the surface’s moderate speed. But Zhu lengthened the exchanges, drawing out deuce-laden games in the set’s close where the Briton saved three break points before clinching it with a forehand winner down-the-line.

Building on that foundation, Zhu smothered from the baseline in the second set, her clean topspin forehands inside-out forcing Raducanu to scramble wide on the grippy courts. Despite two breaks back from the 2021 US Open champion, who called a medical timeout trailing 4-3 amid visible discomfort, Zhu converted a third break to take the set 6-4. Her persistence turned the match into a war of attrition, wearing down an opponent already burdened by a season of fitness interruptions.

Home crowd fuels Zhu’s decisive surge

Raducanu’s movement faltered further in the third, prompting a second medical break down 2-1, her strides shortened against Zhu’s probing crosscourt depth. The home favorite seized the moment, reeling off 16 of the final 19 points with a blend of heavy groundstrokes and rare net approaches that capitalized on weak replies. This marked Zhu’s second Top 30 victory since January, a testament to her grinding style that thrives on Ningbo’s conditions, where patience outpaces finesse.

For those following the action closely, the Ningbo scores, draws, and order of play capture the day’s full scope, from break-point conversions to set-turning shifts. Raducanu’s early exit, now 0-1 in Asia, underscores the toll of recurring ailments on her psychological edge, while Zhu’s win injects hope into her ranking climb. As the tournament deepens, these openers signal that mental resets and surface adaptations will define the swing, with underdogs like Zhu poised to challenge the field’s established stars on these resilient courts.