Zheng Qinwen unleashed a barrage of aces, a total of 23, to conquer Naomi Osaka in a thrilling first-round encounter at the Berlin Open on Tuesday. The victory, a resounding 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 triumph, not only marked Zheng’s first win on grass since June 2022 but also showcased her impressive serving prowess. Her 23 aces set a new record for the most aces served in a single WTA Tour match this season, solidifying her dominant performance.
The world number eight attributed her success to focused practice and an understanding of the importance of a powerful serve, particularly on grass courts. “I was trying to improve the consistency of the serve because I know it’s so important, especially on grass courts,” the 21-year-old explained. “One break and you win the set, one break and you lose the set. That’s precisely what happened today.”
Meanwhile, Victoria Azarenka, a seasoned veteran and former Australian Open champion, delivered a commanding performance, defeating Greek seventh seed Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-2.
Zheng’s victory was particularly notable given her struggles on grass in the past year. “I don’t have too many wins on grass because last year I lost in the first round at all three tournaments,” she admitted. However, she remains optimistic about her chances on the surface, adding, “I love to play on grass courts.”
The first set saw Zheng dominate with seven aces, securing the victory in a swift 41 minutes. Osaka, despite showing glimpses of strength, struggled with unforced errors, committing 13 in the first set. While she reduced her errors to seven in the second set, a single break by Zheng was enough for Osaka to lose the set.
Zheng capitalized on her momentum in the third set, securing a crucial break in the fourth game and holding her serve throughout the remaining game to seal the victory.
Osaka, making her return to the court after giving birth, faced her second loss on grass in five days. She had shown promising form on clay at Roland Garros, even holding a match point against eventual French Open winner Iga Swiatek in the second round. However, her history on grass has been inconsistent. While she boasts four Grand Slam titles on hard courts, her best grass performance was a quarterfinal appearance in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, where she lost to Bianca Andreescu on Friday.
Zheng will now face Katerina Siniakova in the second round. The Czech qualifier secured her spot by defeating Emma Navarro 6-4, 6-3 in the first round.
