Paris, France — Chinese tennis sensation Zheng Qinwen advanced to the French Open quarterfinals after a hard-fought three-set victory over Russian 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova on Sunday. The 20-year-old eighth seed triumphed 7-6(5), 1-6, 6-3 on Court Suzanne Lenglen, showcasing her resilience and determination.
Despite her impressive performance, Zheng remains humble about her progress. “It’s different because in a Grand Slam, we need to play seven matches, and the Olympic Games is six matches to get a gold medal,” she said. “I don’t consider myself a defending champion. Even though I’m in the quarterfinals, I think I’m still a bit far. I just want to stay calm and fight every single match. Forget what happened last year, but just fight at this moment in Roland-Garros.”
Zheng is set to face World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in the next round. The Belarusian star overcame American Amanda Anisimova in a challenging match, clinching a 7-5, 6-3 victory after eight match points on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
The upcoming clash between Zheng and Sabalenka promises to be thrilling. Zheng defeated Sabalenka for the first time in their previous seven encounters during the Italian Open quarterfinals leading up to Roland-Garros. “She’s a great player. Of course, I expect a great battle, and I’m super excited to face her in the quarterfinals,” Zheng commented. “I want to get my revenge,” Sabalenka responded. “I want to get this win after Rome, so I’m happy to face her in the quarters.”
In other matches, defending champion Iga Swiatek of Poland also reached the quarterfinals, battling back from a set and a break down to defeat former Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 on Court Philippe Chatrier. Swiatek will next face Elina Svitolina for a spot in the semifinals, after the Ukrainian saved three match points to eliminate last year’s runner-up Jasmine Paolini of Italy.
The 24-year-old Swiatek is aiming to become the first woman to win four straight French Open titles since the legendary Suzanne Lenglen 102 years ago. However, she has not reached a final since lifting the trophy in Paris last June.
