Zheng Qinwen sent the Beijing crowd into the China Open semifinals on Thursday, defeating sixth seed Elina Svitolina 6-3, 7-6(6) in a gripping WTA 1000 quarterfinal that lasted one hour and 47 minutes.
The Chinese wild card made the sharper start, breaking Svitolina immediately and moving 2-0 ahead. Zheng added two more breaks in the opening set to take it 6-3, but the second set became a far tighter contest. Neither player surrendered serve before Zheng held her nerve in the tiebreak, converting her second match point with a clean winner.
“It is a very important victory for me,” Zheng said after the match. “She played at a very high level too, but I was pleased with the winners I found and with my courage in the key moments. I finished the match with some really good shots.”
Late-season surge carries Zheng into another Beijing semifinal
The result extended Zheng’s current run to 12 wins from her last 13 tour matches. Playing her first tournament since coming through qualifying to reach the US Open quarterfinals, she has now won eight of those 12 victories in deciding sets.
Zheng linked her resurgence to the demanding preparation period she completed before the US Open. She said the work tested her physically and mentally, with difficult weather and rigorous sessions forming part of the process.
Her coach, Pere Riba, reminded her during that period that she had slipped to No. 140 in the rankings and needed to take more direction on court rather than rely on the status she had held as a top-10 player. Zheng admitted that message initially frustrated her, but said accepting the reality helped her reset.
“That training block stays with me,” Zheng said. “I had to deal with tough conditions in every way. I did not enjoy hearing that I was No. 140, but it was true. I had to listen, work and focus on what was in front of me. It looks as though the work is paying off.”
The former world No. 4 had fallen as low as No. 160 in June, but is now projected to re-enter the WTA PIF Rankings top 40 after her Beijing run.
Historic home run and a difficult semifinal draw
This is Zheng’s fourth career WTA 1000 semifinal and her third achieved in China, after semifinal appearances in Beijing and Wuhan in 2024. She is only the third wild card to make the China Open semifinals, following Peng Shuai in 2006 and Wang Qiang in 2018.
She also joins Li Na and Peng as the only Chinese players to have reached the Beijing semifinals on more than one occasion.
Zheng’s next opponent will be either eighth seed Iga Swiatek or 13th seed Elise Mertens. The Chinese player won her only previous meeting with Mertens, while she owns a 2-7 record against Swiatek.
Discussing a possible meeting with Swiatek, Zheng said consistency would again be decisive. She noted that her two wins over the Pole came when she maintained her level more effectively, while Swiatek had been steadier in their other encounters.
“We have played many close matches,” Zheng said. “Whoever comes through will bring their best level. I will focus on my own tennis and see how it goes.”
