Zhang sure she's on upward curve

Wild card keeps positive after gutsy Zhuhai loss to Muguruza

Pushing a two-time Grand Slam champion to three sets at a premier event would make most underdogs proud, but that wasn't the case for Chinese wild card Zhang Shuai following her 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 loss to Spain's seventh-seeded Garbine Muguruza at the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai on Wednesday night.

In her first group match, Zhang's aggressive play forced the 2016 French Open and 2017 Wimbledon champ to the brink of an emotional meltdown early in the second set when Muguruza threw a ball out of the court in frustration over the barrage of fierce shots she faced.