China’s Zheng Qinwen showcased her resilience at the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Queen’s Club in London, battling past the United States’ McCartney Kessler 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 to secure a spot in the women’s singles quarterfinals.
The 22-year-old Zheng, currently ranked world No. 5, needed two hours and 11 minutes to overcome Kessler in a gripping second-round match. Entering the WTA 500 tournament as the top seed, Zheng received a bye in the first round but faced a stern test in her first grass-court match of the season.
“I didn’t expect it to be easy,” Zheng admitted after the match. “I believe I should play even more aggressively on the grass court, but I need to be patient at the same time. I need to find the balance.”
After taking the opening set, Zheng briefly lost focus, allowing world No. 42 Kessler to break her in the 10th game of the second set, leveling the match. Kessler then broke first in the deciding set, but a composed Zheng fought back to seal the victory.
Zheng will next face British wild card Emma Raducanu on Friday. Raducanu, a former U.S. Open champion, advanced by defeating Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova 6-4, 6-1. “As a British player, she definitely has more experience on the grass court,” Zheng said. “But I will pull out all the stops tomorrow. I will try my best to focus on every point.”
In other action, former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina secured her quarterfinal berth by defeating Britain’s Heather Watson 6-4, 6-2. The fourth-seeded Kazakh player will face German veteran Tatjana Maria next.
In women’s doubles, Zhang Shuai of China and Ellen Perez of Australia reached the semifinals after a dramatic win over Timea Babos of Hungary and Luisa Stefani of Brazil. The duo overcame two challenging tiebreaks to clinch the match, showing remarkable teamwork and determination.
On the same day at the Libema Open in the Netherlands, China’s Yuan Yue made headlines by defeating Australian Kimberly Birrell in straight sets, reaching her first tour-level grass quarterfinal. Yuan will face third seed Elise Mertens of Belgium in the next round.
Chinese players are making significant strides on the grass courts this season, showcasing their talent and determination ahead of upcoming major tournaments.
