Zheng Qinwen of China hits a return to Erika Andreeva of Russia during a US Open second-round match on Wednesday in New York. After a slow start, Zheng, Olympic champion and No 7 seed, rallied past Andreeva in three sets, 6-7 (3) 6-1 6-2. [Photo/AP]
First an Olympic gold medal, and then a major title right away? Some think it may be too soon for Chinese ace Zheng Qinwen, but why not?
The world No 7, known as "Queen Wen" to her growing legion of fans, is well on course to replicate her biggest achievement to date — winning China's first Olympic singles title in Paris just weeks ago — at the major level in New York, after fending off two tough opponents to book her place in the round of 32 at the US Open.
The way that she rallied after conceding the first set, and the fight that Zheng dug deep to deliver during her 6-7(3), 6-1, 6-2 second-round win against Russia's Erika Andreeva on Wednesday, was reminiscent of her opening victory over Amanda Anisimova.
It all bodes well for Zheng to emulate in New York the tough, yet consistent, deep run that carried her to Olympic glory in Paris.
The 21-year-old from Hubei province, however, remains pragmatic on the prospect of fulfilling another career dream almost immediately after such an historic achievement.
"When I saw my father (after returning from Paris) in China, he already gave me the next plan, which is (winning) the Slams. That was our dream since I was 10 years old," Zheng said during her on-court interview after beating Andreeva in 2 hours and 28 minutes on the Grandstand court.
"I don't need him to push me more anyway. I've already fought so hard for my target. We will see what happens in the Slams, because in tennis, you never know."
Already a recognizable young star in New York, thanks to her quarterfinal appearance last year, Zheng's Paris feat has only added to her popularity in the Big Apple, particularly among the large Chinese-American community around Flushing Meadows.
Her impressive comeback effort amid an electrifying vibe on Wednesday earned a standing ovation from the crowd in the grandstands, with supporters waving red flags and chanting: "Queen Wen! Queen Wen!"
Zheng, who's won 14 of her past 15 matches, including six in a row at the Olympics on red clay, said she's grown more comfortable playing in front of the loud, energetic New York crowd.
"I felt nervous on court the first time playing in New York (in 2022), even with a big Chinese-American crowd supporting me," said Zheng.
"I caught every single Chinese word they said in that moment. This affected me instead of giving me support.
"But, right now, I can just block out all the noise. I am more calm, I can keep the same focus on the court. I feel really comfortable. I love them all yelling my name; I loved it when they clapped a good shot.
"I feel at home," said Zheng, who will next face German power hitter and 2022 Wimbledon quarterfinalist Jule Niemeier, in the round of 32 on Friday.
With a slow start on Wednesday, seemingly affected by the scorching heat, Zheng quickly regrouped after losing the first set to Andreeva, the surging world No 75, who peppered the Chinese star with a steady string of flat, angled ground strokes and drop shots. Zheng regained control by serving big and applying pressure with her trademark powerful forehand shots.
Zheng ended up firing 20 aces, taking her tournament total to 32 and leading the way among the women after the first two rounds.
"I didn't start the match the way I wanted, but I still fought until the end and didn't give up. My serve helped me a lot today. When you can get a short win (in your service game) in these kinds of conditions, you save a lot of energy," Zheng said.
Already a history maker, Zheng, who's won three WTA singles titles, is pursuing both her first Slam trophy and a place among rarefied company. A championship win in New York will make her just the fourth woman to immediately follow a win at the Olympics with victory at the US Open, joining Steffi Graf (1988), Venus Williams (2000) and Serena Williams (2012).
Joining Zheng in the third round of the women's draw is her compatriot, No 80-ranked Wang Yafan, who dominated Frenchwoman Diane Parry 6-0, 6-4 with her high serving efficiency, which helped the 30-year-old win 76 percent of her first-serve points.
By advancing into the third round at a Slam twice this year, a level she'd never reached before the beginning of this season, Wang, who cracked the top-100 in April 2018, said she hopes to achieve even more breakthroughs at the major level.
"I am more confident now that I can play with more composure, as well as having a naturally better game, even when facing seeded opponents," said Wang, who reached a career-high ranking of 47 in 2019.
She'll be facing No 20-ranked Victoria Azarenka in the next round. The Belarusian beat France's Clara Burel 6-1, 6-4 on Wednesday.
China's sole survivor in the men's draw, teen star Shang Juncheng, proved he's got a mature game and a big heart, delivering a performance beyond his years to stun Spain's 55th-ranked Roberto Carballes Baena 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (2) on Court 13 to reach the third round and match the best result for Chinese men at the US Open.
Previously, only China's top-ranked man Zhang Zhizhen and former US Open boys' champion Wu Yibing had reached the third round in New York.
The teen, however, remains grounded, even with a shot at becoming the first Chinese man to reach the round of 16.
"Whenever I win, or I do something bad, I try to forget about it, because if you're always staying in the past, I feel like you can't really enjoy the present," Shang told atptour.com.
"I take days off. Sometimes, I don't want to practice. I try not to think too much about things that happened before, I just focus on the present and what's going to happen in the future."
Shang will now face world No 8 Casper Ruud in the next round.
The Norwegian beat Frenchman Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (3) on Wednesday.
