Zheng Qinwen Wins Epic to Return to China Open Round of 16

Zheng Qinwen played a game of survival to move to the Round of 16 at the China Open. 

In a battle that kept the crowd on their toes for nearly three hours, Zheng outlasted Marie Bouzkova 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-5 in a two-hour, 54-minute thriller in the third round.

“Feels amazing, especially winning a tough match like this,” Zheng said. “Brings lot of energy and lot of adrenaline.” 

The 23-year-old Zheng, the 2024 Olympic gold medalist and 2024 China Open semifinalist, will face Armenian qualifier Alina Charaeva, who upset top-seed and World No. 1 Elena Rybakina en route to the Round of 16.  

The decisive moment came in the final game of the match, when Zheng broke Bouzkova — the only break in the third set — to seal the victory in front of her home crowd. 

Throughout the contest, the crowd rallied around Zheng, repeatedly chanting “Go Qinwen! Jiayou!” 

“I’m just happy I get to win in front of my home crowd,” she said.

Zheng came out firing, winning the first two games and eight of the first nine points played. But as the opening set progressed, Bouzkova began to find her rhythm. 

The two continued trading games, eventually sending the set into a tiebreak. Zheng then found another gear, winning four consecutive points to take the tiebreak 7-3 and claim the first set. 

Bouzkova refused to go quietly. 

Bouzkova broke Zheng three times in the second set to level the match at one set apiece, forcing Zheng into a deciding set. 

"I just think I believe here everybody wants to take me down," Zheng said. "They really show up their best tennis. I believe somehow they prove that the level was really high."

The third set became another back-and-forth battle, with neither player able to pull away. Zheng ultimately held her ground when it mattered most, breaking Bouzkova in the final game to close out the nearly three-hour battle. 

Zheng’s serve proved to be an important weapon, as she finished the match with 11 aces.  

"Of course, I'm really happy to win 'cause I felt like maybe they play without pressure," Zheng said, "but I felt I really play with lot of pressure because I want to perform as well in front of my home crowd.

"This gives me energy. But at the same time I believe maybe I should be a bit more chill, more relaxed on court, especially when I'm leading 3-1 in the first set."

After the win, Zheng made a celebratory gesture in honor of her team. Her gesture was from a cartoon Zheng watched as a child called Shen Bing Xiao Jiang. 

“That was a transformation gesture in the cartoon," Zheng said. "After winning that point, I need to do something to my team."

By Sierra Hanson