US Open: Under-par Jabeur knocked out by Qinwen Zheng

Qinwen Zheng defeated Ons Jabeur 6-2, 6-4 and will play the winner of the match between Daria Kasatkina and Aryna Sabalenka in the next round

Qinwen Zheng (Zuma/Panoramic)

Jamie Malachy

September 5, 2023

US Open •Round of 16 • completed

See draw

O. JabeurvsQ. Zheng

Qinwen Zheng has reached her maiden Grand Slam quarter-final by beating Ons Jabeur 6-2, 6-4 in New York to reach the last eight of the US Open.

Jabeur was below her best throughout the contest as she continued to struggle with an illness that has prevented her from performing at the standards she is capable of all tournament.

But that should not detract from the achievements of China’s Qinwen Zheng, who was excellent in every department and thoroughly good value for her win.

The world No 23 has been knocking on the door at the top of the women’s game for some time now, but had yet to make the big breakthrough.

Still only at the tender age of 20, Zheng has been pegged as one of the leading players of WTA’s next generation, with her performance today further evidence of the immense potential this young woman has.

Zheng’s potential comes to fruition as she delivers on the big stage

On one of the biggest stages tennis has to offer and in the biggest match of her young career, Qinwen Zheng delivered a performance fit for the occasion.

Against a three-time Grand Slam finalist, Zheng struck the ball wonderfully, making full use of every corner of the court to keep Jabeur running and stifle her creativity.

Despite a first serve percentage that languished at 40% for the match, Zheng was aggressive enough on the return to wipe out Jabeur’s three breaks by taking six of her own. With a solid defensive foundation from which the rest of the Chinese player’s all-round game could flourish, Zheng remained calm and composed throughout the contest.

The match itself did not live up to its potential, however, and a Louis Armstrong crowd on Labour Day were denied the spectacle this encounter could and should have been.

Qinwen Zheng US Open 2023 - Zuma / Panoramic — Qinwen Zheng US Open 2023 – Zuma / Panoramic

The result seemed somewhat inevitable from the early stages of the match, as Zheng broke a misfiring Ons Jabeur four times to comfortably take the first set in just 34 minutes.

The world No 23 was relentless, as Jabeur continued to struggle, and she rapidly moved into another double-break lead in the second.

Serving for the match at 5-2, however, Zheng blinked to hand her opponent a lifeline. A loose service game from the Chinese player allowed Jabeur to pounce for her first – and only – break of the set.

A disappointing contest was compensated for with a gripping climax, as Jabeur staved off a match point on her following service game to move to within one game of Zheng at 5-4.

Forced to serve for the match for a second time, Zheng put the tight and nervous nature of her previous service game behind her, striking the ball with freedom in an impressive display of mental fortitude to move 40-0 up.

But Jabeur was never going to slip away quietly, and she won the next two points before Zheng finally put the match to bed on her fourth match point.

A first Grand Slam quarter-final awaits Qinwen Zheng

“Right now, I just feel super happy and excited to play in a big stadium and have a really good performance today,” Zheng said in her on-court post-match interview.

“Ons, she is a fantastic player. Really tough to beat and has a lot of variety in her game.

“Thank you to all the fans for supporting me today – I hope you enjoyed the match.”

It is Zheng’s first Grand Slam quarter-final. Despite being on the radar for some time now, a last eight finish at a major at just 20 years of age is a superb achievement – one that is indicative of the bright future that Qinwen Zheng has in store.

If she is to go one step further, she will need to get past either Daria Kasatkina or Aryna Sabalenka. A huge task either way.

But, based on this evidence, it is a challenge that Qinwen Zheng will be more than ready for.

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