ROME, Italy — China’s Zheng Qinwen pulled off a major upset by defeating world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-3 on Wednesday at the Italian Open, advancing her to the semifinals for the first time this season.
This victory marks Zheng’s first win over Sabalenka in seven encounters, having lost their previous six matches. Zheng began strong, breaking Sabalenka’s serve in the fifth game of the first set, which propelled her to secure the lead and ultimately the set.
The eighth seed continued her momentum into the second set, where she managed to break Sabalenka’s serve early in the match’s opening game. Despite a couple of attempts from Sabalenka to regroup, Zheng held her composure throughout, effectively saving all break points against her.
“It’s been a long time since I reached the semi-finals,” Zheng told Sky Sports after her victory. “At the beginning of the year, I had some struggles with my arm, but now I’m in perfect shape and just trying to play better tennis all the time.”
In addition to Zheng’s remarkable performance, American Coco Gauff also advanced to the semifinals after defeating Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5). Gauff’s consistent performance in clay courts has positioned her to take the number two spot in the world rankings, overtaking Poland’s Iga Swiatek.
“I have a lot of confidence heading into the semi-finals,” Gauff said. “Some points could have gone differently for me, but I managed to stay successful.”
Andreeva’s frustrations were evident during the match, particularly at a crucial 3-3 in the first set when she slammed her racquet to the floor in disappointment after making an error. The 18-year-old showed resilience by quickly breaking back, but Gauff’s experience in tight situations proved decisive as she sealed the victory in just over an hour and a half.
Zheng Qinwen’s historic win positions her as the second Chinese female player to reach the semifinals in Rome since Li Na in 2012. She’s set to face Gauff next, who holds a 2-0 advantage over Zheng from their previous meetings.
The semifinal clash will take place on Thursday where both players look to secure a spot in the final of the prestigious WTA 1000 event.
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