Zheng defeats Svitolina and keeps the dream of a local champion alive in Beijing

the china Zheng Qinwen (n.54), Olympic champion, she defeated the Ukrainian this Friday Elina Svitolina (n.7), sixth favorite, 6-3 and 7-6(6), and reached the semifinals of the China Open, where she maintains hope for a first women’s singles title for the host country.

In one Diamond center almost full, on the hard court of the tournament Beijing, Zheng found the support to overcome its ups and downs and resolve a match in two sets for the first time in this edition after one hour and 47 minutes of contest, after four three-set duels.

The Chinese, who turned 24 on Thursday, began by imposing the speed of her blows and broke from the start. Its changes of direction, especially the parallel ones, forced Svitolina to defend themselves far from comfortable positions, although the Ukrainian held on patiently and took advantage of the local team’s mistakes.

He seventh game concentrated that fight. Zheng He needed five break opportunities and fourteen points to go ahead 5-2, with a lob and a parallel over the line among his best responses. He was unable to close with his serve afterwards, but he immediately regained the initiative from the rest and won the heat.

He second set showed the risk of his offensive bet. Zheng He accumulated errors and gave up the serve blank for 3-4, but he reacted immediately with a winning parallel forehand and a backhand attack that restored equality.

The Diamond He continued to encourage her even when a double fault or a single fault slowed her progress. In the tiebreaker, the Chinese came back from 0-2 down, let a 5-3 lead slip away and wasted their first match point. At 6-6 he attacked again and won the next two points to close.

Their 34 winners, in front of the fifteen from Svitolina, reflected an initiative that compensated for their 38 unforced errors. The injuries explain his decline in ranking, but the olympic champion returns to place itself between four best from Beijing, as in 2024.

Zheng will seek her first final in the tournament against the winner of the match between the Polish Iga Swiatek (n.9), champion in 2023 and eighth favorite, and the Belgian Elise Mertens (n.19), thirteenth seed.