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Zheng Qinwen's fairytale run to the 2024 Australian Open final following her controversial break-up with former coach Wim Fissette has left tennis fans impressed.
Fissette ended his collaboration with Qinwen in September 2023 to reunite with his former apprentice Naomi Osaka. The Japanese international's comeback on the tour saw Fissette make a sudden switch, leaving Qinwen without a coach heading into the new season.
Qinwen later announced her collaboration with longtime coach Pere Riba for 2024. Fissette's departure seems to have instilled added motivation in the 21-year-old, who has come out with all guns blazing at the Melbourne Major. The Chinese defeated Ashlyn Krueger, Katie Boulter, Wang Yafan, Oceane Dodin, Anna Kalinskaya and Dayana Yastremska to cruise into her first Grand Slam final.
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Meanwhile, Osaka got off to a rocky start under Fissette's tutelage. She suffered a second-round defeat at the Brisbane International before falling short against Caroline Garcia in the Australian Open's opening round.
Fans on social media showered praise on Qinwen for her recent results despite the setbacks. With Fissette's decision to split up backfiring, one fan opined that Qinwen's resurgence may be the best revenge of all time.
"This is the best revenge of all time probably," the fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Another fan maintained that Fissette's decision to reunite with a "washed" Osaka over the Chinese has to be one of the worst coaching fumbles in sports.
"Bump. Imagine what Wim Fissette is thinking right now lol. One of the worst coaching fumbles I’ve seen in sports in quite a while going back to a washed woke Osaka over Zheng," the fan's tweet read.
Here are a few other fan reactions:
"Tough to explain my feelings now" - Zheng Qinwen on reaching Australian Open final
Zheng Qinwen stated it was tough to put into words about how she felt after reaching her maiden Grand Slam final at the 2024 Australian Open.
Qinwen defeated Yastremska 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinal on Thursday (January 25). During her on-court interview, Qinwen expressed delight at coming through with a solid performance against the Ukrainian, who was on top of her game.
"I'm super excited to have such a great performance today and arrive in the final. My opponent was playing unbelievable tennis and had a really good baseline stroke. It is tough to explain my feelings now," Qinwen said.
Zheng Qinwen will take on defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the Melbourne Major final on Saturday (January 27). Qinwen lost against the Belarusian in their previous encounter at the US Open last year in straight sets.
