Zheng Qinwen moved a step closer to clinching her second Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour title on home soil, defeating Nadia Podoroska 6-3, 6-2 in the third round of the China Open in Beijing on Monday.
The fifth seed was buoyed by a lively crowd on Diamond Court as she secured the first set with a forehand winner at 6-3. Showcasing her powerful backhand, Zheng broke Podoroska’s serve early in the second set.
The 21-year-old is on a quest for her third title of 2024, having recently secured singles gold at the Paris Olympics just two weeks after her triumph at the Palermo Ladies Open in Italy.
Zheng, ranked World No. 7, sealed the match as Podoroska’s forehand found the net, tallying 27 winners against 27 unforced errors. In contrast, Podoroska managed only four winners throughout the match.
Looking ahead, Zheng will face No. 34 seed Amanda Anisimova in the next round. The matchup is a rematch of their US Open first-round encounter a month ago, where Zheng prevailed 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 en route to the quarterfinals.
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Reference(s):
China Open: Zheng into last 16, Sabalenka claims 14th consecutive win
cgtn.com
