After losing to Samantha Stosur during the last Australian Open, Han Xinyun hopes to make it farther this time. (Photo : Reuters)
Chinese tennis player Han Xinyun, who is ranked 157th in the world, earned a wildcard entry to the women's singles main draw of the 2016 Australian Open on Sunday, beating Wang Yafan.
Using her experience against her younger opponent, Han defeated Wang, 6-1, 6-2, in only 59 minutes of play during the women's final of the Australian Open Asia-Pacific Wildcard Playoffs on Sunday at Luohu Tennis Center in Shenzhen, booking a spot at the main draw tournament at Melbourne Park in January.
This marks Han's second Australian Open main draw campaign after her appearance in 2010 when she made it past the qualifiers and met Australian Samantha Stosur.
Han lost to Stosur, 2-1, finishing her Grand Slam main draw debut.
Han hopes to have a different outcome this time by passing the first round.
The Australian Open is the first of four Grand Slam tournaments on the annual calendar. Chinese contenders have a history of doing well at the tournament, with Li Na claiming her second Grand Slam during the tournament in 2014 and Chinese pair Zheng Jie and Yan Zi winning the doubles championship in 2006.
China's male players, who are lower-ranked than their female counterparts, failed to make the final wildcard playoff.
The finals of the men's playoff were played between Japan's world No. 117 Yoshihito Nishioka and Taiwan's Jason Jung.
Nishioka beat Jung, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, securing his spot at the main draw of the Open.
In the junior division, Wang Xiyu won the wildcard for the girls' tournament, while Mu Tao won the wildcard for the boys' tournament.
