Iga Swiatek and Zheng Qinwen survive three-set tests in China Open third round
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Poland’s Iga Swiatek (right) came from behind to beat Donna Vekic of Croatia in their China Open third-round match in Beijing on Oct 5.
PHOTO: EPA
- Pole Iga Swiatek and China's Zheng Qinwen both won tough three-set matches to reach the China Open last 16, showing resilience and overcoming pressure.
- Swiatek defeated Donna Vekic after a strong tiebreak, while Zheng beat Marie Bouzkova despite distractions and fatigue.
- In the men's draw, Alex de Minaur advanced to the final after Hubert Hurkacz retired; Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev will contest the other semi-final.
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BEIJING – Former women’s tennis world No. 1 Iga Swiatek staged a comeback to advance to the last 16 at the China Open on Oct 5, while home hope Zheng Qinwen survived another three-set test in Beijing.
Six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek overcame frustration to cling on as Croatia’s Donna Vekic served for the match twice, dominating a must-win tiebreak to advance 4-6, 7-6 (7-0), 6-2.
“I was just angry, wanted to change something because clearly it wasn’t working,” the 25-year-old from Poland said on court.
“Sometimes if you care a bit less because you’re... probably going to lose, it also helps you a bit,” she later told reporters.
She will face American teenager Iva Jovic for a spot in the quarter-finals.
China’s Zheng was tested by Marie Bouzkova, enduring her third three-setter of the tournament to beat the Czech player 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 7-5.
She voiced frustration in each set at movement outside the court, including as she tried to salvage the second set on Bouzkova’s serve.
But she pulled out some of her most accurate tennis to clinch the last two games and win the match when 27th-ranked Bouzkova fired long.
“I gave everything,” said Zheng, who had already spent more than five hours on court in the first two rounds.
“Truthfully speaking, I felt a lot of pressure today,” the 23-year-old told her home crowd, thanking fans for their support but commenting on distractions during play.
“Sometimes I’m a bit screaming in Chinese because I really see you guys are moving, but next match, I hope I will be better on this,” she said.
Zheng, the current world No. 54, next plays 118th-ranked Alina Charaeva, who sent out top seed Elena Rybakina in the second round. The Armenian then beat Briton Sonay Kartal 6-4, 6-1 in the round of 32.
Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova also advanced and will face Ekaterina Alexandrova in the last 16.
Third-seeded Coco Gauff dispatched Chinese teenager Sun Xinran 7-5, 6-1 to secure a meeting with Belgium’s Elise Mertens in the round of 16.
“Today was really just about feeling,” said the 22-year-old American, adding that it could be tough to play young players with styles largely unknown.
“I was just trying not to get frustrated out there,” Gauff added, with a loud crowd behind the 16-year-old.
Australian Alex de Minaur advanced to the China Open final after his opponent Hubert Hurkacz of Poland retired on Oct 5.
PHOTO: EPA
Alex de Minaur got the first spot in the men’s final after Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz retired while trailing 4-6, 2-3.
The Australian will face Novak Djokovic, who advanced after his fellow former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev defaulted in the second set, when a ball that came off the Russian’s racquet hit a spectator.
A man sitting in the stands behind Medvedev’s side of the court was seen holding his face and escorted out of his seat after being struck, as Djokovic was serving for the match with the score at 7-5, 5-3.
The 39-year-old Serb beat top seed Alexander Zverev in a three-set thriller on Oct 4, extending his unbeaten streak in Beijing to 32 matches. AFP