Eighth-seeded Zheng Qinwen of China showcased her prowess on the clay courts of Roland Garros, securing a commanding 6-2, 6-3 victory over Colombia’s Emiliana Arango in the women’s singles second round of the French Open on Wednesday. This triumph propels the 22-year-old into the Round of 32 for the third consecutive time at the prestigious tournament.
Despite a shaky start that saw Zheng broken in the opening game, she quickly regained her footing. Battling back with determination, she clinched four consecutive games to take a 4-1 lead, eventually wrapping up the first set 6-2.
The second set was a display of fierce competition, with both players exchanging breaks in the first six games. Zheng held her nerve to secure a pivotal hold in the seventh game, edging ahead 5-2. Although Arango fought valiantly to stay in the match by holding her next service game, Zheng sealed the victory on her own serve, concluding the set 6-3.
“She had great defensive skills,” Zheng remarked after the match. “When I saw the short ball, I knew I had to approach the net and finish the point. If we stayed on the baseline, she could return everything, so it was a challenging match. I’m really happy with my performance.”
Looking ahead, Zheng is set to face Canada’s Victoria Mboko in the next round as she continues her pursuit of Grand Slam success.
In other action, top seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus overcame a slow start to defeat Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann 6-3, 6-1. After trailing 1-3 in the first set, Sabalenka stormed back by winning five straight games. Dominating the second set with 17 winners, she left little room for Teichmann to mount a comeback.
“It doesn’t matter what the scoreboard says, she really made me work for every point,” Sabalenka said. “I’m really happy with this win. It’s always a tough match against her because she’s a very tricky opponent with great tennis.”
Sabalenka will face Olga Danilovic of Serbia in the third round.
