Rising star Liang En-shuo clinched the girls’ singles and doubles crowns at the Australian Open Juniors Jan. 27 in Melbourne, becoming the first Taiwan athlete to win both titles at the tournament.
To secure the singles title, 17-year-old Liang defeated France’s Clara Burel 6-3, 6-4 over the course of 64 minutes. Although the match began with Burel breaking serve, Liang reciprocated immediately, executing an aggressive style of play throughout the sets.
After her victory, Liang said she could not believe she had won her first junior Grand Slam title, adding that it felt like a dream. She thanked her mother, coach and fans in Taiwan for their unwavering support, adding that she could not have succeeded without them.
Later the same day, Liang returned to the court alongside partner Xinyu Wang of mainland China for the doubles final. The duo took home the title by defeating Violet Apisah of Papua New Guinea and Lulu Sun of Switzerland 7-6, 4-6, 10-5 in an 84-minute match.
The only other Taiwan athlete to win the girls’ doubles title at the Australian Open Juniors is Chan Yung-jan, who claimed victory in 2004 with partner Sun Shengnan from mainland China.
Currently listed at world No. 5 in the junior girls’ International Tennis Federation rankings, Liang said her next goal is to perform well at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires this October.
First held in 1905, the Australian Open is the first of four Grand Slam tournaments of the calendar year, followed by the French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open. This year’s event was held Jan. 15-28 at Melbourne Park in Victoria. (KWS-E)
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