CHINA’S Wang Qiang and Zhang Shuai breezed through to round three of the Australian Open, with players overcoming windy conditions at Melbourne Park on Wednesday.

Wang defeated Frenchwoman Fiona Ferro 6-1, 6-2, while Zhang beat Catherine McNally of the United States 6-2, 6-4.

Not so fortunate was China’s Zhu Lin, who bowed out at the hands of Alison Riske 6-3, 6-1, and Zheng Saisai, who gave an impressive but ultimately unsuccessful effort against defending champion Naomi Osaka 6-2, 6-4.

In the third round, Zhang will face 14th-ranked American player Sofia Kenin, while Wang will meet veteran player Serena Williams, with the American dominating the court the last time they met, at last year’s U.S. Open.

Williams progressed from round two of competition on Wednesday after beating Slovenian Tamara Zidansek 6-2, 6-3.

Despite Wang playing a solid tournament so far, Williams presents a vastly different level of opponent for the Chinese hopeful.

The last time the two women met was at the quarterfinals of the 2019 U.S. Open, when Williams demolished Wang 6-1, 6-0.

At the time, a stunned Wang explained that the former world No. 1 and 23 Grand Slam title winner was simply too powerful for her.

Speaking to media after her second round win Wednesday, Wang said that she would be studying Williams’ form and looking to improve upon the result of their previous meeting.

Meanwhile, American teenager Coco Gauff, showing a tenacity which is becoming her trademark, clawed her way back from a set down to beat the experienced Sorana Cirstea 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Gauff, who screamed and pumped her fists as she completed her victory, said her “will to win” had got her through the tough second-round match at a windswept Melbourne Park.

Earlier, Australia’s world number one Ashleigh Barty raced through 6-1, 6-4 against Polona Hercog, buoying hopes of a first home winner since 1978.

“It was very different end to end, I think the wind was a massive factor particularly with the new ball,” she said.

On a day when men’s seeds tumbled, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic strode into the third round to be joined by Roger Federer, who dismissed Filip Krajinovic 6-1, 6-4, 6-1.

Djokovic also weathered the breeze — which followed heavy rain on Monday, and smog from bushfires last week — to beat Japanese wildcard Tatsuma Ito 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in 95 minutes.(SD-Xinhua)