ZHENG QINWEN VS. EMMA RADUCANU | WTA TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

 

UNITED CUP: ZVEREV TAKES CONTROL AS GERMANY BEAT CHINA 2-1, REACH QUARTERFINALS

Perth:  Alexander Zverev and Laura Siegemund continued their perfect United Cup record in the mixed doubles on Monday, securing defending champions Germany’s status as Group E winners and a place in the quarterfinals with a victory against China in Group E.

The duo notched a 6-2, 7-6(3) victory over Zhang Zhizhen and Zhang Shuai in the deciding mixed doubles rubber against China, sealing a 2-1 win in favour of the defending champions. Zverev and Siegemund had won each of the four previous mixed doubles rubbers they contested at the event and ensured they kept a clean slate with a rock-solid performance, booking a quarter-final clash with Kazakhstan.

“Triple ZZZ is a very funny guy, we had a great singles and great mixed doubles match with Laura,” said Zverev. “I’m happy that we’re in the quarterfinals and, actually, I’m happy that China are in the quarterfinals too. Congratulations to the Chinese team. It was a really great match,” Siegemund added. “When you play for the first time after a while, you never really know what’s going to happen, and I think it was a great performance.”

Earlier, Zverev shook off a sluggish start to give Germany an initial 1-0 lead in the tie, rallying to a 2-6, 6-0, 6-2 victory over Zhang Zhizhen. Gao Xinyu then fought back for China with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 upset of Siegemund, levelling the tie at 1-1. With her singles win, Gao ensured China finished second in Group E, facing the winner of Group A in the quarter-finals. “I didn’t start well…I was missing more shots from my backhand side, which is normally the most stable,” said Zverev. “He was also playing extremely well, so aggressive. He was not letting me into the match or find my rhythm.

“Then I pushed some balls back in the second set to get some rhythm from the baseline. Then I found my rhythm and I’m happy with my performance in the second and third sets.”

In the men’s singles, Zhang had picked up where he left off from his 54-minute clinic against Thiago Monteiro on Friday with a promising start to the winner-takes-all tie. Zverev’s standout quality has been his serving in recent times, but it was thoroughly tested in the opening set against Zhang. The Chinese star broke Zverev on two occasions, and was imperious behind his own, winning 93 per cent (13/14) of first deliveries, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Zhang, who reached his maiden ATP Tour final in Hangzhou in September, struck cleanly from both wings from the beginning of the match. Yet he was unable to withstand 23-time titlist Zverev once he grew into the encounter and found his range from the baseline. Zverev, significantly aided by the 22 unforced errors that Zhang fired, asserted his dominance with a perfect second-set score. After a stark drop in intensity in the second set, Zhang steadied himself through the first four games of the decider. But after another lapse in the sixth, Zverev raced away with the final four games to improve to 2-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.

Gao’s victory continues a dream week for the World No.175, who has replaced the absent Zheng Qinwen in singles. Before the United Cup, a professional career that started in 2014 had seen the 27-year-old notch just one tour-level win, in Hua Hin last September, and one defeat of a Top 100 player, over Veronica Cepede Royg in 2017 Beijing qualifying.

Now, including an opening career-best win over Beatriz Haddad Maia, Gao has posted two more of each. Though she had been beset by a leg injury during the 3-hour, 22-minute marathon against Haddad Maia, Gao emerged against Siegemund both moving and swinging freely. By contrast, Siegemund’s timing and touch were both off in the first set, during which she committed 14 unforced errors to Gao’s seven.

(IANS)

- OMMCOM NEWS

ARYNA SABALENKA MOWS DOWN ZHENG QUINWEN FOR WINNING START TO TWA FONALS

Sabalenka (left) packed far too much power for Zheng at crucial points in their match. PHOTO: REUTERS

RIYADH - Aryna Sabalenka began her quest to secure the year-end number one ranking with a thumping 6-3 6-4 victory over China's Zheng Qinwen in her opening round robin match at the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Nov 2.

Australian and US Open champion Sabalenka, who is headlining the first women's professional tennis tournament in Saudi Arabia, packed far too much power for Zheng at crucial points in their fourth meeting of 2024 to stay perfect.

In a rematch of their Melbourne and Wuhan title clashes, it was Belarusian Sabalenka who edged ahead in a tight opening set with a break in the sixth game and took the early lead in the contest by holding to love.

Olympic champion Zheng enjoyed plenty of vociferous support at the King Saud University Indoor Arena and led four times in a closer second set but Sabalenka drew level each time and finally broke for a 5-4 lead with a searing forehand winner.

She wrapped up the contest on serve despite a wobble with a double fault, when Zheng sent a forehand long.

The WTA Finals, which features the top eight singles players and doubles teams in the world and has a record prize pot of US$15 million (S$19 million), will culminate with the title clashes on Nov 9.

Winning three round robin matches or reaching the final are some of the ways Sabalenka can retain top spot this year, while closest challenger Iga Swiatek needs to successfully defend the trophy to have any chance of overtaking her.

Roland Garros and Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini plays 2022 All England Club champion Elena Rybakina in the second contest from the Purple Group later.

Swiatek takes on Barbora Krejcikova in the Orange Group on Sunday before Coco Gauff meets Jessica Pegula. 

- REUTERS

ZHENG QINWEN MAKES HISTORY | #PARIS2024

 

IGA SWIATEK UPSET BY ZHENG QUINWEN INNPARIS OLYMPICS

Getty Images 

 PARIS -- Iga Swiatek lost to Zheng Qinwen of China 6-2, 7-5 in the Paris Olympics semifinals Thursday, a surprising setback for the No. 1-ranked woman and champion at the French Open four of the past five years.

The result was hard to predict for several reasons. Swiatek entered the day with a 6-0 edge in their head-to-head matchups. She has led the WTA rankings for nearly every week since April 2022, while Zheng is No. 7. Plus, just when Swiatek appeared to be getting back into the match with a 4-0 lead in the second set, she faltered.

The really stunning part? Swiatek is as good as it gets on red clay and at this particular place. The 23-year-old from Poland has been dominant at Roland Garros, the facility used for the annual French Open and the site for tennis during these Summer Games.

Afterward, Swiatek didn't take any questions from print reporters in the mixed zone area for interviews. Her face flushed and eyes red, Swiatek did not break stride as she passed journalists, saying only: "Sorry. Next time."

Zheng, 21, who was the runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open in January, assured China of its first singles medal in Olympic tennis since the sport returned to the Games in 1988.

In Saturday's gold medal match, Zheng will face 13th-seeded Donna Vekic of Croatia or unseeded Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia, who were scheduled to face each other Thursday night at Court Philippe Chatrier.

Vekic eliminated No. 2 Coco Gauff, the 20-year-old American who is the reigning US Open champion, in the third round.

Swiatek's career dominance against Zheng included a victory in the same stadium during the fourth round of the 2022 French Open. Zheng also took the first set of that one, the only set dropped by Swiatek during that event.

Things have not quite gone as smoothly this week.

In the quarterfinals Wednesday, Swiatek was forced to three sets and got the wind knocked out of her when she was hit by a ball off the racket of opponent Danielle Collins, who wound up retiring from the match because of an injured stomach muscle. Afterward, Collins, an American, gave Swiatek a lecture about being "insincere" when they spoke on court.

Surprisingly, perhaps, it was Zheng who made the first dent Thursday, taking advantage of three unforced errors by Swiatek, including a game-ending double fault, to break for a 2-1 lead. That lead, such as it was, lasted all of five minutes, because Swiatek -- backed by clap-accompanied shouts of "Iga! Iga!" -- broke right back to 2-all.

But then Zheng, her big serve and big groundstrokes clicking, began to take full advantage of Swiatek's many misses and reeled off four games in a row.

After that set, Swiatek draped a white towel over her shoulders, grabbed her equipment bag and headed to the locker room to take a break, which is allowed in tennis. Maybe the pause allowed her to recalibrate. Maybe it caused Zheng to lose her focus. Whatever the case, the match's entire complexion shifted immediately.

When play resumed, it was Swiatek who was back to being her best self, hitting heavy, confident forehands, dictating points. A double fault by Zheng gave Swiatek a 4-0 edge in the second set. Yet Zheng didn't concede a thing, and suddenly it was 4-4.

When it ended, thanks to a shot Zheng put right near a line but Swiatek thought had landed out, the winner dropped to her back, covering it with clay.

- Associated Press 

SABALENKA OVERPOWERS ZHENG TO RETAIN AUSTRALIAN OPEN CROWN

Reuters 

 Aryna Sabalenka produced an utterly dominant display to become the first woman in 11 years to retain the Australian Open title and send out a warning to her rivals with her second Grand Slam title on Saturday.

The Belarusian blew away Zheng Qinwen 6-3 6-2 in 76 minutes with a show of power that overwhelmed the Chinese 12th seed, emulating compatriot Victoria Azarenka's 2012-13 feat by winning the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup back-to-back.

Sabalenka came into the match without having dropped a set at the year's first major and stayed perfect to join Ash Barty, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Lindsay Davenport in the elite club of players to have done so this century.

"I'm speechless right now," Sabalenka said at her press conference as she sipped a glass of wine. "I don't know how to describe my emotions. But definitely I'm super, super happy and proud of everything I was able to achieve so far.

"Yeah, just happy with the level I played today. She's a great player and very tough opponent."

Sabalenka dropped only one set at last year's tournament and her dominance this year is a further reflection of the maturity and emotional control she has built in the last 12 months.

"I didn't want to be a player who won it and disappeared," Sabalenka said. "I wanted to show I'm able to be consistently there and I'm able to win another one.

"That's why no matter what the result, win or lose, we're always working hard, we're always looking for things to improve in my game."

AUSTRALIAN OPEN ORDER OF PLAY ON SATURDAY

 

USA TODAY Sports 

Order of play on the main court on the 14th day of the Australian Open on Saturday (times local, prefix number denotes seeding):

* Day session: From 12 p.m. (0100 GMT)

* Night session: From 7:30 p.m. (0830 GMT)

ROD LAVER ARENA

Junior Girls' Singles final

1-Renata Jamrichova (Slovakia) v 6-Emerson Jones (Australia)

Junior Boys' Singles final

Jan Kumstat (Czech Republic) v 4-Rei Sakamoto (Japan)

Night session

Women's Singles final

12- Zheng Qinwen (China) v 2-Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus)

Men's Doubles final

Simone Bolelli (Italy)/Andrea Vavassori (Italy) v 2-Rohan Bopanna (India)/Matthew Ebden (Australia)

- Reuters 

FIFTH SEED JABEUR KNOCKED OUT BY ZHENG IN FOURTH ROUND

USA TODAY Sports 

China's Zheng Qinwen knocked out last year's U.S. open runner-up Ons Jabeur in the fourth round on Monday with a 6-2 6-4 win over the Tunisian fifth seed at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Illness had left Jabeur struggling to catch her breath at times earlier in the tournament and she looked exhausted against Zheng, who will face second seed Aryna Sabalenka in her first Grand Slam quarter-final.