Zheng Qinwen Battles Past Andreeva to Enter US Open Third Round

Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen overcame Russia's Erika Andreeva in tough conditions to advance to the U.S. Open's third round. Despite a challenging start, Zheng bounced back strongly, driven by a powerful serve and crowd support, eventually sealing the victory 6-7, 6-1, 6-2.

Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen survived an early scare to overcome Russia's Erika Andreeva 6-7(3) 6-1 6-2 in sweltering conditions on Wednesday, advancing to the third round of the U.S. Open. Andreeva, the elder sister of teenage sensation Mirra, had already dispatched one Chinese player, Yuan Yue, and aimed to reach Flushing Meadows' third round for the first time in her career.

Despite Andreeva taking an early lead and clinching the tiebreak, Zheng clawed back into the contest with a solid first serve, finishing the match with 36 winners and 20 aces. "I started the match quite slow. Little by little, I started to feel better in the reaction, in my serve," said Zheng, runner-up at the Australian Open this year.

"Honestly, today, I know I entered the match the way I wanted, but I'm glad I still fought until the end. I didn't give up, because she had numerous chances in the second set." Despite starting poorly, Zheng fought back with a break, always playing catch-up as Andreeva surged ahead. At 6-5 down, Zheng forced a tiebreak but a third double fault gave Andreeva the upper hand, sealing the set when Zheng's backhand went wide. Zheng rediscovered her rhythm in the second set, winning five straight games and forcing a decider, while Andreeva struggled. In the third set, Andreeva's errors continued, and Zheng capitalized, sealing the match with two aces. "When I lost the first set and saw the crowd supporting me, I said to myself, 'Let's keep fighting, even if it's a difficult day,' added Zheng. She will face Germany's Jule Niemeier in the next round.