By Shrivathsa Sridhar MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Last year's runner-up Zheng Qinwen was sent crashing out of the Australian Open second round on Wednesday as her bid to emulate Chinese compatriot Li Na's 2014 triumph evaporated after a shock 7-6(3) 6-3 defeat by unseeded German Laura Siegemund.

Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen won’t be repeating her surprising run to the Australian Open final in 2025 after a second-round upset loss to No. 97-ranked Laura Siegemund

Distracted by a time penalty and unable to counteract No. 97-ranked Laura Siegemund's aggressive approach, Zheng Qinwen's loss in the second round Wednesday fell a long way short of last year's run to the Australian Open final.

At her peak, the four-time Grand Slam champion played her best tennis in the toughest moments. In Melbourne, she did it again.

Naomi Osaka, ranked just No. 51 in the world after a disappointing 2024 season, shook off a slow start en route to a second-round upset win in the Australian Open on Wednesday. Osaka rallied past 20th-seeded Karolina Muchova 1-6,

Naomi Osaka is back in the third round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since 2022 and she got there with wins at the Australian Open over two women who blocked her path last year