China's Wang Xinyu advances at Hobart International qualifying round

SYDNEY, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese women's singles player Wang Xinyu on Saturday sprinted to a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Australia's Lily Taylor in the first qualifying round of the Hobart International.

File photo: CGTN

The 21-year-old world No. 86 will go head-to-head with the top-seeded Nuria Parrizas Diaz of Spain for a spot in the tournament's main draw.

Currently ranked No. 70 in the women's singles, the 31-year-old Spaniard moved past China's Yuan Yue 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in a 168-minute clash, advancing to the final qualifying round.

Meanwhile, the singles draw for Hobart International was announced on Saturday afternoon, with China's Zhu Lin included in the roster.

World No. 84 Zhu will meet Sofia Kenin of the United States in her round of 32 match. As the 2019 singles champion of the tournament and winner of the 2020 Australian Open, world No. 149 Kenin was awarded a wildcard into this year's Hobart International.

After a two-year hiatus, Hobart International will return on Monday and run until January 14. The 2020 edition saw China's Zhang Shuai finish as runner-up in both women's singles and doubles.