Home hope Zheng storms into China Open semi-finals
BEIJING: Homegrown hero Zheng Qinwen pulled out some of her best tennis to beat Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) at the China Open on Friday and storm into the semi-finals.
Beijing witnessed a thrilling encounter at the China Open as homegrown tennis star Zheng Qinwen advanced to the semi-finals. The 24-year-old, a wildcard entry, outplayed Ukraine's Elina Svitolina 6-3, 7-6 (8/6). This marked Zheng's first straight-sets victory of the tournament, following an ordeal of over 10 hours on court to reach the quarter-finals.
The world number 54 dominated with 48 winners, outshining Svitolina, who committed just 13 unforced errors in a grueling one-hour-and-47-minute match. Despite a strong comeback, Svitolina faltered in the second set, ultimately conceding victory to Zheng, who declared, "Truthfully, because I really wanted to grab this win, I was really nervous."
The match saw Zheng capitalizing on crucial moments with aggressive play. The next semi-final will feature Poland's 2023 title holder, Iga Swiatek, and Belgium's Elise Mertens.
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