Chinese tennis star Zheng Qinwen’s impressive journey at the Miami Open came to an end on Sunday, as she was defeated by top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the women’s singles quarterfinals. Sabalenka, hailing from Belarus, secured a 6-2, 7-5 victory to advance to her first Miami Open semifinal, where she will face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini.
Zheng, 22, started strong, overcoming a 40-15 deficit to hold her first service game. She had an opportunity to break Sabalenka’s serve and take a 2-0 lead, but multiple missed break points allowed Sabalenka to level the set at 1-1. From there, the three-time Grand Slam champion found her rhythm, breaking Zheng four times to claim the first set 6-2.
In the second set, Zheng showed resilience and aggression, securing three breaks in the first four games. However, Sabalenka responded each time with a break of her own, and the set remained tight at 5-5. In the end, Sabalenka proved too strong, winning the final two games to seal the match.
This defeat marks the sixth time Zheng has fallen to Sabalenka, highlighting a challenging rivalry. It also continues a pattern for Zheng, as she has now been stopped in all six of her quarterfinal appearances at WTA 1000 tournaments outside the Chinese mainland.
Despite the loss, Zheng’s performance at the Miami Open showcased her talent and potential. Fans around the world will be watching eagerly to see how she builds on this experience in future tournaments.
