‘Stop shouting’: Zheng braves rowdy home crowd at China Open

Zheng next faces either Czech player Marie Bouzkova or Australia’s Kimberly Birrell in the third round. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen rebuked rowdy fans at her home tournament on Saturday before opponent Anna Kalinskaya retired with injury to give the Chinese player a 6-7[4], 6-4, 3-0 victory.

A strong breeze and a noisy crowd made for tense rallies on a chilly centre court in Beijing, with the umpire stepping in to warn people to stop moving around in the stands during play.

During a tight first-set tie-break, Zheng — a beloved figure in her home country — twice was heard telling spectators to “stop shouting” as she stepped up to serve.

“I thought the first set in particular was really difficult,” Zheng told the crowd in an on-court interview after the two-hour-and-22-minute match. “Indeed, seeing some movement in the audience, my emotions were not very stable,” the 23-year-old added.

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But she declared: “It’s my problem, it’s my problem,” and vowed to adjust.

Chants for Zheng rang through the wind-rattled stadium before most points, with fans occasionally yelling at each other to quieten down.

After levelling in the second set, the World No. 54 was handed a lifeline when Russia’s Kalinskaya retired three games down in the third due to injury.

Zheng next faces either Czech player Marie Bouzkova or Australia’s Kimberly Birrell in the third round.