In a commanding display of tennis prowess, Chinese sensation Zheng Qinwen stormed her way through her first match at the Miami Open, echoing a feat achieved by her compatriot, Li Na. The 22-year-old ninth seed dispatched the 229th-ranked American, Lauren Davis, in a swift hour and 17 minutes, posting an impressive 6-1 7-5 victory to kickstart her campaign.
Throughout the intense match, Zheng remained a model of relentless accuracy, serving a remarkable 12 aces and facing break points in a single game only. Her sterling performance not only ensured her a place in the third round but also etched her name in the annals of tennis history, making her the first player since Li Na to reach this stage of the tournament for three consecutive years.
This achievement comes on the back of Li Na’s impressive run at the Miami Open from 2012 to 2014. Zheng’s successful stride into the third round further cements her position as one of the leading lights in Chinese women’s tennis.
Now, as the anticipation builds, all eyes are on Zheng’s next match, where she will lock horns with the winner of the face-off between 19th seed Yulia Putintseva and Taylor Townsend. A victory here will catapult Zheng into the round-of-16—a stage she has reached only once before in her career.
Reflecting on the match that got her this far, Zheng’s performance against Davis was a masterclass in domination. She stormed through the first set, securing breaks in the second and sixth games, and concluded the set with six aces and winning an impressive 85 percent of her first serve points. This triumphant performance follows her successful run at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she claimed the gold medal.
While Zheng continued her dominance in the second set, leading 3-1 after an early break, Davis was not ready to hang up her racquet. She fought back in the sixth game, earning her first break points and managing to claw back into the match. Zheng, however, remained unflappable. She broke Davis’s serve once again in the 11th game, and sealed her victory in the next.
This stellar performance at the Miami Open highlights Zheng’s rising stature in the world of tennis. As she continues to make strides, she’s one to watch out for in future tournaments.