Chinese tennis star Zheng Qinwen showcased her dominance at the French Open on Sunday, defeating Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-3 in the women’s singles first round at Roland Garros in Paris. This victory marks Zheng’s fourth consecutive advancement to the tournament’s second round.
Pavlyuchenkova, who reached the French Open final in 2021, provided a challenging start for Zheng. However, Zheng began strong, securing an early lead. Despite Pavlyuchenkova’s efforts to level the score, Zheng claimed the first set with two flawless games.
In the second set, Zheng maintained her momentum, breaking Pavlyuchenkova’s serve to lead 3-1. Pavlyuchenkova narrowed the gap to 4-3, but Zheng held firm, winning the next two games to seal the match.
“I stayed focused and played my game,” Zheng said after the match. “It’s always tough facing a player like Anastasia, but I’m happy with how I performed today.”
Looking ahead, Zheng will face Colombia’s Emiliana Arango in the second round.
Elsewhere, fellow Chinese player Yuan Yue was defeated by Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 in her first-round match.
