Yuan Yue was eliminated in the final qualifying round of the WTA 1000 Rome tournament on Tuesday, squandering a 5-3 lead in the deciding set to fall to No. 17 seed Viktorija Golubic, 2-6, 6-1, 5-7. The defeat marks a painful end to Yuan’s hopes of reaching the main draw, as she had built a commanding position before a late collapse.
Yuan, who had impressed in the first round of qualifying with a straight-set win over third seed Birrell, appeared poised to finally avenge a 2019 loss to Golubic in Hua Hin. After dropping the opening set 6-2, Yuan stormed back by taking the second set 6-1, putting her in a strong position to complete the comeback. However, from 5-3 up in the decider, she lost the next four games, allowing Golubic to seal the match and deliver a second career defeat to Yuan in Rome.
Many fans expressed frustration and disappointment at the sudden turnaround, with some calling it “unacceptable” to see Yuan falter at such a critical juncture. There remains a slim chance Yuan could enter the main draw as a lucky loser, but others question whether fortune will favor her this time.
Meanwhile, China’s No. 2 player Zheng Qinwen survived a grueling three-set encounter against Hungarian Anna Bondar, winning 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to book her spot in the second round. Zheng had previously beaten Bondar twice, but the Hungarian entered the match in strong form, making the contest a tough test from the start.
Bondar took the first set 6-3, breaking Zheng’s serve twice and preventing any break opportunities for the Chinese star. In the second set, Zheng raced to a 4-0 lead but then saw Bondar fight back to 4-3 before Zheng ultimately closed it out 6-3. The deciding set began disastrously for Zheng, who fell behind 0-3. However, Bondar’s level dropped at a crucial moment, and Zheng capitalized on a series of errors to win four of the next five games, eventually taking the set 6-4.
Fans and commentators noted that Zheng’s performance was far from polished, with the 22-year-old showing signs of impatience and struggling to adapt to Bondar’s moonball tactics. Despite the victory, some critics described the win as “ugly” but acknowledged that the result is all that matters at this stage.
“Whether it’s beautiful or ugly, a win is a win – that’s the top priority,” one fan remarked.
Zheng will now await her second-round opponent in Rome.
