Watched by her parents for the first time, the 133rd-ranked Zhang, 27, scored the biggest upset of the Australian Open so far, stunning world number two Simona Halep 6-4, 6-3 to reach the second round.
It removed a huge monkey from her back, having lost in the first round at all 14 Grand Slam matches she had played before — the worst record of any top-300 player.
Once ranked 30 in the world, her serial failure at Grand Slams and a horror 2015 in which she fell eight times in the first round and six times in qualifying convinced her it was time to call it quits.
But her team told her to give it one more shot at Melbourne Park this year.
“The last few months I’m already 200, my ranking, so it was very tough. I was feeling very sad every day, I almost retired,” she said.
Shuai Zhang has an emotional victory over Halep #AusOpen https://t.co/tXDpUXlw3n
— Australian Open (@AustralianOpen) January 19, 2016“But, you know, so many people help me — my coach, my parents, my team, also national team, my sponsor, always try to help me, give me more motivation.
“I didn’t think in two months I can beat the top two player. It feels like a dream come true.”
Zhang, who wept freely after her win, said she seriously considered quitting after yet another flop at the US Open in September.
“I was feeling so sad, I couldn’t win one match even. But I’m feeling no, I want to come back, I want try one more time, only one more time.
“I say, okay, I will try a last tournament — Australian Open. If Australian Open not good, maybe finish tennis. But I never think I can win here, win the first round.”
Meanwhile, two-time champion Victoria Azarenka stormed into the second round, swatting aside Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck without losing a game in a dominant “double bagel” display.
The Belarusian former world number one entered the Grand Slam in ominous form, winning the Brisbane International, and she was untouchable on Rod Laver Arena, crushing Van Uytvanck 6-0, 6-0 in just 53 minutes.
Former world number one Ana Ivanovic conquered her nerves to beat unheralded Tammi Patterson and keep her Australian Open hopes alive with her first win of the season.
She came through the test on Hisense Arena 6-2, 6-3 and has a good chance of pushing on to the third round with a qualifier, Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova, awaiting her next.
Angelique Kerber also survived a huge scare Tuesday from Japan’s Misaki Doi, pulling herself back from the brink of defeat.
The German, who was forced out of the Sydney International with a gastrointestinal illness last week, saved a match point in a second-set tiebreaker before digging deep to win 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (8/6), 6-3.
