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Taiwanese-Japanese duo Liang En-shuo and Aoyama Shuko reach French Open doubles semifinals

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Taiwanese player Liang En-shuo and her Japanese partner Aoyama Shuko have reached the semifinals of the French Open women's doubles.
  • The unseeded pair has surprised competitors, advancing through the tournament without losing a set.
  • Liang aims to emulate the success of fellow Taiwanese player Hsieh Su-wei, who has won the French Open doubles title twice.

Taiwan's Liang En-shuo, alongside her veteran Japanese partner Aoyama Shuko, has made a surprising run to the semifinals of the 2026 French Open women's doubles. The unseeded "Taiwan-Japan alliance" has defied expectations, defeating higher-ranked opponents with their speed and tenacious play on the clay courts of Roland Garros. Their journey to the final four has been dominant, marked by four consecutive wins without dropping a single set.

Standing at just 158cm, Liang and the 154cm Aoyama form a formidable "short-but-mighty" partnership. They have effectively used their quickness and endurance to overcome taller, seeded competitors. This unexpected success marks a career-best Grand Slam performance in women's doubles for both players. They are scheduled to compete for a spot in the championship match later tonight against the formidable second-seeded duo of Anna Danilina from Kazakhstan and Aleksandra Krunic from Serbia.

I am very happy to reach the semifinals. We handled the key points very well, and our return strategy was particularly successful.

— Liang En-shuoReflecting on their performance and strategy after reaching the semifinals.

Despite not being favored by international betting odds, Liang and Aoyama are approaching the semifinal match with confidence and a "play-without-pressure" mindset. Liang, in particular, is aspiring to replicate the achievements of her compatriot, Hsieh Su-wei, a renowned Taiwanese player who has won the French Open women's doubles title twice before, in 2014 and 2023. Liang hopes to continue their impressive form and potentially make history for Taiwanese tennis.

The "Taiwan-Japan alliance" has demonstrated remarkable chemistry and synergy throughout the tournament. Their ability to perform under pressure and adapt their strategy against diverse opponents has been key to their success. As they face their toughest challenge yet in the semifinals, their focus remains on maintaining their current high level of play and seizing the opportunity to advance further in the prestigious Grand Slam event.

We will continue to stay focused and hope to maintain our good form.

— Liang En-shuoExpressing determination for the upcoming semifinal match.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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