Zheng Qinwen defeats Iga Swiatek in straight sets at US Open, reaches quarter-finals
Quick Look
- Zheng Qinwen defeated Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-3 at the US Open on Monday to reach the quarter-finals, overcoming a 5-0 deficit in the first set.
- Zheng, ranked 125th and coming from qualifying, said her comeback was not luck but focus, while Swiatek left the court in tears after losing her second consecutive match to Zheng.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Zheng Qinwen, former world No 4, had dropped to 125th in the rankings and needed to qualify for the US Open main draw after a year of poor form. She had previously defeated Madison Keys in a similar comeback fashion.
Zheng Qinwen pulled off another remarkable win at the US Open on Monday, and then insisted there was nothing lucky about her progress to the quarter-finals after she downed Iga Swiatek in straight sets.
The former world No 4 has been in such poor form for the past year, that she had dropped to 125th in the rankings and needed to come through qualifying just to reach the main draw.
But as she had done in the previous round against Madison Keys, the Olympic champion battled back from 5-0 down in the first set to eventually win 7-5, 6-3, breaking Swiatek twice in the second.
“I even forgot the score in the first set. It shows how focused I am. I guess to come back last time is not lucky,” Zheng said.
Swiatek, who fell to Zheng in the gold medal match in Paris two years ago, left the Arthur Ashe Stadium in tears.
Zheng said it took her some time to settle in on the cavernous Ashe court, noting it’s been “a long, long time” since she’d been scheduled on a main show court.
Open Questions
- What specific adjustments did Zheng make to overcome the 5-0 deficit?
- How will Zheng's confidence from this win affect her upcoming matches?
- What are the implications for Swiatek's form heading into the rest of the tournament?
