湖北“00后”金花郑钦文，首夺澳网亚军！

China's top-ranked ace Zheng Qinwen capped her impressive run at the Australian Open with a career first runner-up finish at a major tournament, leaving Chinese fans stoked about a star in the making.

Zheng, the second Chinese player to reach a Grand Slam final and the first since Li's title run at the 2014 AO, failed to grab the championship in Saturday's final facing defending champion Aryna Sabalenka at a packed Rod Laver Arena, being overpowered and outpaced by the world No 2 in a 6-3, 6-2 loss in just 76 minutes, loosing her first major singles final.

尽管无缘冠军，郑钦文本届澳网仍有出色发挥，世界排名下周也将来到职业生涯新高的第7位。

“这是我的第一个大满贯决赛，现在我感觉有一点遗憾，但现实就是如此，对我来说也是一种经历，”郑钦文在颁奖仪式上难掩失落之情，“现在我的心情有点复杂，我觉得自己本可以做得更好，但是我没能做到。感谢现场球迷能来看我的比赛，感谢团队帮助我走到了这里，我真的非常享受在澳网比赛，相信未来我还会更多次站在这里，而且会做得更好。”

The lopsided final defeat has hit Zheng with a tough reality check that, despite her recent surging momentum, the 21-year-old Chinese star still has a long way to go before reaching the very top of the game, technically and mentally.

"It's a pity but that's how it was," a disappointed Zheng said after the final, which had exposed the rising star's lack of mental strength in facing huge pressure and expectations at big-time moment.

"Thanks for all he fans for coming here to watch me. My feelings are very complicated, I feel like I could've done it better," said Zheng, who will make her top-10 debut on the WTA rankings on Monday at her highest career spot of No 7.

"Thanks to my team for helping me. I really enjoyed playing in this Australian Open. It's an amazing memory for me. I am sure there will be more and better in the future. Xiexie!"

郑钦文的决赛对手为白俄罗斯名将萨巴伦卡。若想战胜萨巴伦卡，郑钦文需要通过高质量的发球压迫对手，特别是将一发进球率保持在较高水平，这也被视为本场较量的胜负手。

图源：新华社

不过比赛伊始，萨巴伦卡通过又快又深的接发与回球迅速掌握主动，在第2局早早完成破发。第3局，郑钦文一度获得3个破发点，可惜未能兑现，错失扳平机会。第8局，郑钦文通过强势的发球连续挽救3个盘点，将比分追至3:5。但萨巴伦卡把握住发球胜赛局，率先拿下第一盘。

Sabalenka delivered a near-flawless display of aggressive tennis to control the contest throughout. She broke Zheng in the second game with a ferocious backhand return, then fended off triple break point in the subsequent game to build a 3-0 lead.

That set the tone for the rest of the match. Zheng's first-serve numbers were a stat to watch - the 21-year-old had not landed more than 56 percent in any of her wins en route to the final. In the first set against Sabalenka, she found 63 percent and slammed six aces, but was still unable to gain a foothold.

Zheng's serving performance dipped in the second set. Three double faults in the first game enabled Sabalenka to break again immediately; two more double faults followed in the fifth, and Sabalenka moved out to a 4-1 lead after ending one of the best points of the match with a coolly-executed drop shot.

Zheng battled hard at the end of each set, saving the first four set points against her in the first and the first four championship points against her in the second. Sabalenka was able to fall back on her reliable serve to hold firm both times and converted her fifth championship point with a clean forehand one-two punch.