Zheng Qinwen Defeats Donna Vekic in Record-Breaking Victory US Open 2024 Match
Zheng Qinwen defeated Donna Vekic in an unprecedented late-night match at the US Open to guarantee her place in the quarterfinals.
The women’s match ended at 2:15 a.m. on Monday, making it the latest in the tournament’s history. The Olympic gold medal rematch was, regrettably, held in front of a small audience.
In the latest women’s match finish in tournament history, Zheng Qinwen defeated Donna Vekic in a rematch of their Olympic final, 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-2, to go to the U.S. Open quarterfinals early on Monday morning.
The No. 7-seeded Zheng concluded the match at 2:15 a.m. after two hours and fifty minutes of play. This was a much more difficult and extended test than the one she faced from Vekic in Paris last month.
That day, Zheng defeated the opponent 6-2, 6-3 to win China’s first-ever tennis singles gold medal. On the hard courts of the U.S. Open, where Vekic is far more at ease than on the clay of Roland Garros, she wasn’t quite as overpowering.
Zheng has made it to her maiden Grand Slam final this year at the Australian Open, where she was defeated by Aryna Sabalenka, but she is more than capable of defeating herself on hard courts.
Zheng remarked, “I feel very proud of myself because it’s not easy to change from clay to hard surfaces, especially since I went back to China and don’t have the same practice as all the other players.” “In other words, even though I’m not feeling my best, I’m just trying to hold myself together and figure out how to get the match.”
On Tuesday, she will play again against Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed who defeated Zheng in the Flushing Meadows quarterfinals last year her route to the championship match. Zheng stated that she will be prepared, provided that she slept for eight or nine hours after returning to the hotel.
Zheng remarked, “I really enjoy playing against her and I’m looking forward to playing against her.” “I’ve been waiting for this opportunity since I know she’s one of the best players on hard courts.”
Vekic has just advanced to the Wimbledon semifinals, her highest Grand Slam performance. However, the 24th seed was aware that she lost the opportunity to advance farther in Flushing Meadows.
After missing a shot, she would often linger for a lengthy time in frustration, sometimes pulling at her hair or burying her head in her hand. After driving Zheng back with some fierce returns, the Croatian used a flawless drop shot to give herself a set point and win the second set and tie the match.
However, Zheng broke Vekic after she made two consecutive unforced errors after an ace to start the third set. In front of the small audience that had remained till almost two in the morning, Zheng then broke again at love for a 5-2 lead.
The most recent women’s match to conclude at 2:13 a.m. was a 2021 fourth-round match between Maria Sakkari and Bianca Andreescu.
