Zheng Erases 5-0 Deficit, Stuns Swiatek
Zheng Erases 5-0 Deficit, Stuns Swiatek
The News
Chinese qualifier Zheng Qinwen came back from 0-5 down in the first set to beat No. 8 seed Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-3 on Monday and reach the US Open quarterfinals.
It was the second straight match Zheng erased a 5-0 deficit. She is the first qualifier to reach the final eight at Flushing Meadows since Emma Raducanu won the title in 2021, according to The Associated Press.
Swiatek, the 2022 US Open champion, left the court in tears, the Daily Mail reported from Arthur Ashe Stadium.
How the Comeback Happened
Swiatek raced to a 5-0 lead, then could not close it out. She failed to convert two set points serving at 5-1, and Zheng saved another when Swiatek served at 5-3, per AP. Zheng won 13 of the next 16 games after falling behind 5-0.
Swiatek took a medical timeout in the second set for treatment on her left thigh, after holding serve for a 2-1 lead. She said afterward the injury had little to do with the result.
Timeline
Zheng reaches the US Open quarterfinals in back-to-back years.
Zheng beats Swiatek in the Olympic semifinals, coming back from 4-0 down in the second set and ending Swiatek's 25-match winning streak at Roland Garros. It is Zheng's only win over Swiatek before Monday; Swiatek came into this match 7-1 in the head-to-head.
Elbow surgery costs Zheng long stretches of the season. Her ranking falls as low as No. 121, and she has to play qualifying to reach the main draw in New York this year.
Zheng trails No. 22 Madison Keys 5-0 in the third round's deciding set, then wins the final seven games to take it 1-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5.
Zheng falls behind 5-0 again, and again comes back, beating Swiatek 7-5, 6-3 in the fourth round.
Reactions
"I guess to come back 0-5 yesterday is not lucky, that's all I can say," Zheng said, per AP. She said she was so locked into each point that she lost track of the score.
Swiatek put the loss on her own game rather than the leg or her nerve. "I never judge that I'm going to have a lot of time. That's why I usually am able to close the set with a pretty straightforward score," she said, explaining that she is normally "just pushing and being intense all the time."
"But today, I wouldn't say it had anything to do with mentality," she added. "It was more that I started making mistakes from easy balls and Qinwen stopped doing mistakes. She played the balls better."
What's Next
Zheng plays the winner of two-time champion Naomi Osaka against No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals.
French Open champion Mirra Andreeva also advanced Monday, beating No. 24 Anastasia Potapova 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. The No. 5 seed faces the winner of No. 4 Coco Gauff against No. 14 Iva Jovic, who met in Monday's night session.
On the men's side, top seed Alexander Zverev played No. 21 Luciano Darderi on Monday night, while No. 14 Learner Tien faced Karen Khachanov with a chance to give the United States four men in the quarterfinals for the first time since 1995. No. 8 Ben Shelton, No. 11 Frances Tiafoe, Alex Michelsen and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz all advanced Sunday.
More
Zheng is the 2024 Olympic gold medalist. Raducanu's 2021 run made her the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title in the Open era, which dates to 1968.
Swiatek has won four French Open titles. The New York Post described her first-set collapse as an epic one.
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