Qinwen Zheng makes history in winning China Open

QINWEN Zheng delighted a boisterous crowd of 15,000 as she became the first Chinese woman to win the China Open WTA 1000 on Sunday in Beijing.

Zheng earned her first 1000-level title with a 7-5, 6-4 win over fourth-seeded Mirra Andreeva of Russia. It was her first tournament win since her victory in Tokyo in late 2024 and her sixth overall.

"Honestly after winning this title, I felt like finally I achieve it, finally I once again become the one who is making new history," Zheng said after the victory. "I always wanted to kind of beat myself because everyone was asking me how great you achieve in 2024. I always say that the best is come in the future."

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The gold medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Zheng captured her 14th career win over a Top 10 opponent in one hour, 43 minutes.

Zheng entered Beijing as a wild card, ranked No. 54 in the world after struggling much of the past year following elbow surgery.

But on Sunday, Zheng announced her return. Serving down 5-4 in the first set, she fought off three set points to even the match and then ran off eight straight points to take the opener.

In the second set, Zheng and Andreeva held serve until the ninth game, when Zheng went up 5-4 after winning the fourth break point of the game. She served out to win on the first match point, punctuating the victory with an ace.

"When I was at the lowest moment, everyone was saying I couldn't come back," Zheng said. "Everyone had doubts about me. Finally after many losses, I was able to find my fire again when I'm playing matches. Like I always said, tennis is not just about hitting the balls, it's also about how much you want to win. I am just so grateful that I found the inside fire back. Right now, I'm trying to reach the best version of myself."

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This was the second career meeting between Zheng and Andreeva. The first also came in the China Open in 2024, with Zheng winning in three sets. — REUTERS