Wang Xinyu has advanced to the semifinals of the ASB Classic after her quarterfinal match against Britain’s Francesca Jones ended in retirement on Friday.
The Chinese player and tournament’s seventh seed was leading 6-4 4-3 when Jones was forced to stop due to a leg injury, cutting short what had been a competitive contest under challenging daytime conditions.
Wang said her biggest satisfaction came from how she managed to adjust as the match unfolded, particularly with the elements playing a major role.
“I think just ability to find a way and adapt to different conditions on court, including the wind and also the sun,” she said.
“It’s my first time playing the first match here. So it’s different conditions than the late night match I played in last match. Francesca, she’s very solid at the baseline, and she has great touches.”
The quarterfinal was played in bright sunshine and she acknowledged the sun proved the more difficult factor to deal with than the wind, especially on serve.
“I would say more the sun [was a problem], because the serve is pretty important in my game,” Wang said.
“Instead of going for my first serve as usual, on the other side [of the court], I was just trying to put more spin to the ball, to get my first serve percentage higher so we can get into rally, and I’m not too defensive.”
Jones received medical attention late in the first set before ultimately being unable to continue early in the second. Wang said she was unsure exactly when the injury occurred, as her focus was on managing the conditions.
“She called a physio at the end of the first set, but I was busy adjusting to the sun,” she said. “I saw her doing a few squats, but I don’t know exactly, when it happened.”
Wang expressed sympathy for her opponent and said she hoped Jones would recover in time for the season’s first grand slam.
“I hope she can recover fast for the Australian Open. She’s playing great, so I hope to see her in two weeks.”
Throughout the match, Wang played with aggression, but was also quick to reset after errors, something she identified as an important part of her mindset.
“You can feel it, if there’s some adjustment you can make to the shots, like when you miss it,” she said.
“Otherwise, if you’re not sure, then just move on and don’t think too much about it. Don’t let it get into your head and try to focus for the next point.”
Wang will now look ahead to Saturday’s semifinals as she continues her run at the Auckland tournament.