Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen showed resilience and determination to overcome a tough challenge from Russia’s Erika Andreeva in the second round of the US Open. The match, played under sweltering conditions on Wednesday, saw Zheng prevail 6-7(3), 6-1, 6-2 to secure her place in the third round.
Andreeva, the elder sister of rising star Mirra Andreeva, had already knocked out another Chinese player, Yuan Yue, in the previous round. She was aiming to reach the third round at Flushing Meadows for the first time in her career. Despite taking an early lead and winning the first set tiebreak, Andreeva was unable to maintain her momentum against the seventh-seeded Zheng.
Zheng, who was the runner-up at the Australian Open earlier this year, struggled early in the match but gradually found her rhythm. Her powerful serve and aggressive play proved too much for Andreeva to handle as she finished the match with 36 winners and 20 aces.
“I started the match quite slow,” said Zheng. “Little by little I started to feel better in my reaction, in my serve. I’m glad I still fought until the end. I didn’t give up, because she got a lot of chances in the second set.”
The second set was a complete turnaround for Zheng. She won five games in a row from 1-1, capitalizing on Andreeva’s errors and showcasing her impressive serve. The momentum carried into the third set where Zheng’s powerful groundstrokes and impressive serving continued to dominate. Andreeva, struggling with consistency, even hit a return so wide that it went into the stands behind the chair umpire.
Zheng closed out the match in style, winning the final two games with aces to book her place in the third round where she will face Germany’s Jule Niemeier.
“When I lost the first set and after I see the crowd supporting me, I say to myself, ‘Let’s keep fighting, even if it’s a difficult day’,” Zheng said. “I want to say thanks to the crowd who supported me today, that was an amazing atmosphere.”
