Zhang Shuai (left) of China and Elise Mertens of Belgium at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, on January 28, 2026 Photo: VCG

In the women's doubles quarterfinals of the 2026 Australian Open on Wednesday, fourth seeds Zhang Shuai of China and her Belgian partner Elise Mertens battled past Japan's Eri Hozumi and Wu Fang-Hsien of Chinese Taipei in three sets, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, to become the first pair to advance to the semifinals.

The victory marked Zhang's return to the Australian Open women's doubles semifinals after a seven-year absence. Last time she reached this stage in Melbourne in 2019, after which she went on to win the title alongside Australia's Samantha Stosur. 

Zhang and Mertens will next face Ena Shibahara of Japan and Russia's Vera Zvonareva.

Beijing-based sports commentator Guo Ai told the Global Times on Wednesday that the 37-year-old Zhang's return to the Australian Open women's doubles semifinals reflects her steady recovery in competitive form and continued technical refinement in recent years.

"This season, Zhang's partnership with Belgium's Mertens has gradually shown greater stability in tactical coordination and handling key points, which enabled them to stage a comeback after dropping the first set in the quarterfinals. It once again demonstrated Zhang's mental resilience and technical execution in high-pressure matches," Guo noted.

Guo added that Zhang's latest run is not merely a return in terms of results, but also a successful reflection of her strategic adjustments in doubles play during the later stage of her professional career.

As the tournament's fourth seeds in the quarterfinals, Zhang and Mertens faced a stern challenge from the young pairing of Hozumi and Wu. In the opening set, Zhang and Mertens were broken at a crucial moment, allowing Hozumi and Wu to take the set 6-4.

At the start of the second set, Zhang quickly adjusted her form and, together with Mertens, delivered a strong opening, breaking serve and holding to establish a 2-0 lead. Although Hozumi and Wu saved break points in the fifth game and held serve in an attempt to mount a comeback, Zhang and Mertens maintained firm control of the match, relying on solid baseline play to preserve their advantage.

In the 10th game, with Mertens serving for the set, the pair encountered trouble as their opponents earned three break points. At the critical moment, Zhang stepped up at the net with decisive volleys to defuse the danger, helping her partner hold serve and secure the set 6-4, forcing the match into a deciding set.

The final set intensified as both sides held serve through the first four games to reach 2-2. The fifth game proved to be the turning point, when Zhang capitalized on her opponents' second serve with aggressive returns to earn a crucial break.

From there, both pairs held serve efficiently, but Zhang and Mertens kept their advantage firmly in hand. In a must-hold service game, Hozumi and Wu failed to convert a game point, while Zhang and Mertens, showing strong chemistry, forced errors to complete a decisive break, sealing the victory 6-3.

Guo pointed out that in this match, Zhang's tactical choices and handling of critical points in the deciding set demonstrate that she is maintaining stable competitiveness in Grand Slam doubles through a strategic adaptation of her game, adding to her prospects for victory in the semifinals.