China’s rising tennis star Zheng Qinwen faced an early exit from the WTA Qatar Open on Tuesday after falling to Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in the round of 32. Zheng, ranked World No. 8, struggled to find her rhythm, losing in straight sets with a scoreline of 6-4, 6-2 in Doha.
The defeat marks a challenging start to the season for Zheng, following her second-round elimination at last month’s Australian Open by Germany’s Laura Siegemund, who is ranked World No. 97. Fans had high hopes for Zheng this year, but she’ll need to regroup as the season progresses.
Ons Jabeur, currently World No. 35, showcased her skill and experience, securing her first win against a Top-10 opponent since last year’s Madrid Open. Battling back from injuries, Jabeur’s performance was a reminder of why she’s a formidable player on the tour. She is set to face the USA’s Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, in the next round.
In other matches, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was shocked by Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova. After a tense encounter lasting over two and a half hours, Sabalenka bowed out with scores of 3-6, 6-3, 7-6. The unexpected defeat has stirred up the competition, leaving the title up for grabs.
The USA’s Coco Gauff also faced disappointment, exiting the tournament after a straight-sets loss to Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk. Despite leading in the second set, Gauff couldn’t hold off Kostyuk, who clinched the match 6-2, 7-5.
On a brighter note, Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina advanced smoothly into the last 16. The fifth seed defeated the USA’s Peyton Stearns with a confident 6-2, 6-4 victory. Rybakina will next compete against Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova as she aims for the title.
