The Netflix curse has struck once more on the Australian Open, claiming quantity six seed Maria Sakkari on Friday.
87th ranked Zhu Lin shocked the Greek star as she claimed the 7-6, 1-6, 6-4 victory to advance into the ultimate 16.
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Netflix’s new collection, Break Level, was launched to most of the people on January 13 and offers followers a glance backstage of the tennis world.
The ten-part docuseries shines a highlight on a number of stars of the sport, however ever since its debut the celebs of the collection have crumbled on the Australian Open.
9 of the ten featured within the opening 5 episodes have did not make it into the second week on the first Grand Slam of 2023.
Three withdrew earlier than the match bought underway, lacking out resulting from harm. Six have been eradicated earlier than the third spherical ends.
Sakkari turned the most recent participant to be struck down by the curse. Solely Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime stays within the draw.
The win for Zhu was her first ever towards an opponent ranked inside the highest 10 on the earth.
She had misplaced all seven of her earlier encounters towards top-10 gamers. However you wouldn’t have identified it in a late-night encounter on Margaret Court docket Area which went previous midnight and, fittingly, into Chinese language New 12 months’s Eve.
Underdog Zhu celebrated the 12 months of the Rabbit by taking the primary set on a tie-break.
Although she dropped the second as Sakkari lastly wakened, Zhu regrouped to safe the most important win of her Grand Slam profession after which burst into floods of tears.
“Is that this actual? Am I in a dream?” she sobbed.
“Thanks, my workforce, and thanks for pushing me on daily basis,” she stated, trying to her participant’s field.
“It’s simply I’ve to imagine in myself that I’ve the flexibility to have the ability to play at this excessive degree and I must work onerous on daily basis.
“And, yeah, who is aware of what’s going to occur? You by no means know.”
However it was the curse which turned the new matter amongst tennis followers. Auger-Aliassime is left to carried the load for the collection after American Taylor Fritz dispelled any notion previous to his Australian Open exit within the second spherical towards Aussie Alexei Popyrin.
“I observed the individuals pulling out of the match however I didn’t realize it was a factor,” stated the 25-year-old.“I’m not going to lose my first-round match as a result of I’m within the Netflix present, so I didn’t take into consideration that.”
Regardless of the curse lingering over Melbourne Park, it hasn’t deterred different stars from placing their hand as much as seem in potential future seasons.
Denmark’s Holger Rune laughed off ideas showing might carry unhealthy luck to gamers, saying he can be open to getting concerned in a brand new season.
“I’m excited to do it. I feel it’s going to be nice. It’s good for tennis,” he stated.
“It’s good for us gamers. [The] extra followers we are able to get into the game, it’s higher. I’m simply very optimistic about it.”
– with AFP
