China’s rising tennis star Zheng Qinwen has advanced to the Round of 16 at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, marking a significant milestone in her career. Zheng defeated New Zealand’s Lulu Sun in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5, on Sunday.
The match was a rematch of their encounter at Wimbledon last year, where Sun had upset Zheng in the first round. This time, Zheng came prepared, breaking Sun’s serve in the fifth game to lead 3-2 in the opening set. Although Sun immediately broke back to level the score, Zheng secured another break in the seventh game and held her serve to clinch the first set 6-4.
In the second set, Zheng gained an early advantage, breaking Sun to take a 2-0 lead. The set saw several break exchanges, with both players struggling to hold serve. Tied at 5-5, Zheng elevated her game, breaking Sun once more and serving out the match to secure her place in the next round.
“It was a tough match, but I stayed focused and fought for every point,” Zheng said after the match. She will face the No. 18 seed Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in the Round of 16.
In other matches, the Chinese duo of Zhang Shuai and Hsieh Su-wei of Chinese Taipei advanced to the women’s doubles quarterfinals. They defeated American pair Makenna Jones and McCartney Kessler 6-2, 6-3, showcasing a dominant performance by winning 81% of their first-serve points and converting four out of five break points.
Meanwhile, China’s Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan were edged out by Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Kichenok and Sofia Kenin of the U.S. in a closely contested match, finishing 6-3, 4-6, 10-6.
On the singles front, China’s Wang Xinyu was eliminated after a 6-2, 6-1 defeat to American fourth seed Jessica Pegula. Despite a challenging match, Wang expressed optimism about her performance and aims to learn from the experience.
The BNP Paribas Open continues to be an exciting tournament for tennis fans, with emerging talents making their mark on the international stage.
