In a remarkable display of resilience, Zheng Qinwen, the Olympic gold medalist, overcame a slow start to defeat six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-3, advancing to the quarter-finals of the US Open on Monday. Zheng, who had to navigate through the qualifying rounds, showcased her determination and skill against the Polish star, who was heavily favored in the matchup.
Zheng's journey to this stage has been anything but straightforward. Once ranked as high as fourth in the world, she has faced significant challenges over the past year, including elbow surgery that dropped her to 121st in the rankings. However, her recent performances have indicated a resurgence, highlighted by her previous victory over Madison Keys, where she won the last seven games to secure the match.
In the match against Swiatek, Zheng found herself in a precarious position early on, trailing 5-0 in the first set. However, she demonstrated her fighting spirit by winning seven consecutive games to take control of the set. Zheng broke Swiatek's serve twice in the second set, sealing the victory over the player she defeated in the gold medal match at the Tokyo Olympics two years ago.
Reflecting on her performance, Zheng acknowledged her slow start but emphasized the importance of finding her rhythm. "I would say I start the match really slow. That’s why she’s able to lead 5-0. After that, I start to play more freely because I think I need to try to find my rhythm at least for the second set," she said. Her ability to focus intensely on each point was evident, as she even lost track of the score at one moment, demonstrating her commitment to staying in the moment.
With this victory, Zheng has made history as the first qualifier to reach the fourth round of the US Open women's singles since Emma Raducanu, who went on to win the title in 2021. Zheng's next challenge will be against world number two Elena Rybakina, who defeated two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka in her previous match.
Rybakina, who leads their head-to-head matchups 4-1, will be looking to secure a spot in the semi-finals, which would also guarantee her ascent to the world number one ranking. Zheng, on the other hand, is eager to reclaim her place among the top players, admitting that the psychological toll of her ranking drop has been difficult to bear. "Psychologically it is very difficult to accept. I used to be top 10, Olympic champion. It is really, really tough process," she stated.
On the other side of the tournament, Alexander Zverev, the top seed, also advanced to the quarter-finals with a straight-sets victory over Italy's Luciano Darderi. Zverev, who had faced tough five-set matches in his earlier rounds, won decisively with a score of 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3), showcasing a consistent level of play throughout the match. His victory came as a relief after the marathon matches he had previously endured.
Zverev's performance was marked by his ability to capitalize on Darderi's service struggles, allowing him to secure an early lead. Despite a late rally from Darderi in the third set, Zverev maintained control, ultimately winning the match with his 13th ace. He will now face Dutch veteran Botic van de Zandschulp in the next round, aiming to continue his pursuit of the title.
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