Elina Avanesyan’s Victory over Zheng Qinwen in Roland Garros 2024 Thriller

Now ranked 70th in the world, the 21-year-old Russian is 5-0 versus players in the top 15.

Before the fourth round at Roland Garros, two of the top eight women’s seeds have lost. On a damp Saturday, No. 7 Zheng Qinwen and No. 6 Maria Sakkari were the victims of upsets.
However, this outcome may not come as a huge surprise to those who have followed Elina Avanesyan’s brief but remarkable career.

The 21-year-old Russian, who is now ranked 70th in the world, won 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6) to advance to the Roland Garros fourth round for the second consecutive year. She is now an incredible 5-0 against players rated in the Top 15. This follows an Australian Open third-round run that saw Sakkari upset in straight sets.
“For me, Roland Garros is a truly magical place,” Avanesyan remarked. “Last year was amazing, this year as well.”

The runner-up of the Australian Open, Zheng, traded easy sets with Avanesyan. Mother Nature, the most erratic opponent, was subsequently shown to the participants. The dramatic end to the contest came after it was delayed for around four hours.

At Roland Garros, Zheng said, “During the time we wait, they [tell] us every half an hour, half and hour.” We’re not sure if you can sleep for three hours, so it’s not like this. We need to be extremely vigilant. I recall using the restroom three times after visiting the gym and warming up three times.

“The conditions are difficult, but it’s the same for the opponent.”
Avanesyan was forced to watch as the 21-year-old Chinese star came back from a double-break disadvantage in the third set, down 2–5, to win four straight games. Avanesyan was now forced to serve in order to reach the 10-point tiebreaker, which was her last refuge.

Also Read: Carlos Alcaraz Advances to 4th Round at Roland Garros with Victory over Sebastian Korda

She was able to breathe after holding. Then she resumed playing the style of tennis that had Zheng in such danger.

8–6 was the swing point, Avanesyan. A protracted rally ensued, in which players attempted to hit through their opponent and the sluggish surface on this damp, chilly day while navigating the court like pinballs and occasionally dodging moonballs. Avanesyan did well to retain her nerve during this grueling game and ultimately benefited from a Zheng forehand that somewhat strangely went wide.

“She had more patience than me today,” stated Zheng. After a Zheng backhand veered left of the baseline, Avanesyan took the set, which officially lasted 73 minutes but felt like it lasted all afternoon.

Despite being a composed player, Avanesyan was obviously emotional after the win and accepted both the hard day and the victory.

Regarding the rain, Avanesyan remarked, “I guess everybody gets used to these [conditions] after a few days here.” “To be honest, during the break, all we did was play cards and sip tea. It was rather pleasant.” What’s next for Avanesyan? Jasmine Paolini, ranked 12th, is another player in the Top 15.