Dart awakens Sun Xinran from the dream

Sun Xinran has fallen in the cruelest way in the semifinals of the WTA Guangzhou against Harriet Dart with a score of 5-7, 7-6, and 6-0 after wasting two match points. At just 16 years old, the Chinese tennis player has surprised the world and has emerged as a new diamond in the rough taking advantage of the wildcard granted by the tournament, although today she faced the other side of the coin.

The match between Sun and Dart had everything, and the Chinese player displayed a maturity unusual for someone her age in crucial moments. In the first set, the Brit served to close the set at 5-4, but Xinran managed to win 3 games in a row to turn the set around and take the lead. In the second set, Dart managed to go ahead with a break on two occasions, but once again Sun recovered and even had two match points at 5-4. However, Dart managed to save the situation and won a tiebreak that proved too much for the young Asian player, who did not win another game for the rest of the match.

The incredible rise in the ranking of Sun Xinran

Before starting the Guangzhou tournament, Xinran was ranked 405th in the WTA ranking, but after reaching the semifinals, she has ensured her position as number 302 in the world. Had she made it to the final and even won, her rise would have been even more meteoric, as she would have placed in the top 200. 

After this achievement, Sun will need to learn to handle the pressure and expectations, although the good news for her is that being in the final stretch of the season will allow her several months of preparation to further elevate her level for 2027, a year in which she could firmly establish herself on the circuit and take another step forward in a very promising career.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Dart despierta del sueño a Sun Xinran