Chinese tennis star Zheng Qinwen delivered a commanding performance at Roland Garros on Sunday, defeating Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-3 in the French Open first round. The eighth-seeded player showcased resilience against the 2021 finalist, securing her fourth consecutive second-round berth at the tournament.
Zheng opened strong with a 3-0 lead in the first set, but Pavlyuchenkova fought back to level at 4-4. The 21-year-old from the Chinese mainland responded with two decisive games to claim the set. In the second, Zheng maintained pressure despite Pavlyuchenkova's late rally, closing the match with a dominant serve at 5-3.
The victory avenged Zheng's loss to the Russian veteran at this year's Cincinnati Open. She now faces Colombia's Emiliana Arango in the next round, while compatriot Yuan Yue exited after a hard-fought three-set battle against Italy's Jasmine Paolini.
All eyes now turn to Chinese player Wang Xinyu, set to challenge Britain's Emma Raducanu in Monday's marquee matchup.
