Chinese tennis star Zheng Qinwen showcased her resilience Thursday at London's WTA Queen's Club tournament, overcoming American opponent McCartney Kessler 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 in a grueling three-set battle. The world No. 5 needed over two hours to secure her quarterfinal berth in her first grass-court match of the season.
The 22-year-old Olympic champion admitted facing unexpected challenges against the 42nd-ranked Kessler: "I lost focus after winning the first set and struggled to adjust quickly enough." After dropping the second set, Zheng regrouped in the decider, breaking back immediately after falling behind to clinch the victory.
Zheng now prepares for a high-profile Friday showdown with British wild card Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion who cruised past Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova. "She has more grass-court experience as a local player," Zheng acknowledged, "but I'll give everything and focus point by point."
The tournament's top seed emphasized her evolving grass-court strategy: "I need to balance aggression with patience – find that sweet spot where I can dominate without overcommitting." Her next match against Raducanu promises fireworks, with both players seeking momentum ahead of Wimbledon.
In other results, fourth seed Elena Rybakina continued her strong form with a straight-sets win over British veteran Heather Watson. The Kazakh star will face Germany's Tatjana Maria in her quarterfinal match.
