After Emma Raducanu's accusations, Zheng Qinwen reveals why she frequently changed her shoes during Queen's Club encounter
Zheng Qinwen revealed the real reason behind why she kept changing her shoes during her match against Emma Raducanu at the Queen's Club Championships. The Brit even accused her of the frequent stoppages by the Chinese during their match that led to disruptions on her part, eventually costing her a straight-set loss.
The tennis star was seen skidding on the grass and struggling during her match against Raducanu, which led her to change her shoes. Zheng was also seen changing her shoes during the sixth game of the deciding set of her semifinal against Amanda Anisimova on Saturday, even though the match ended in a loss for the 22-year-old.
In an interview with the Chinese media, she spoke about concentrating on the discomfort caused by her shoes throughout the match. She said:
“I have to say that I could not concentrate on playing but worried about my shoes. I noticed there was something wrong with my shoes, but I didn’t realise that the sole has been unglued until the third set.”
This issue, she elaborated, was caused by her not receiving her new shoes in time for matches from her kit sponsor, Nike. Hence, she was forced to use shoes she hadn't used in a long time, since her junior years. She also added:
“I couldn’t keep going as I have slipped a few times [in the match against Raducanu]. Since I arrived here, I was wearing the shoes from last year’s Wimbledon. I know exactly when I should change shoes either on the hard court or the clay court, but I’m not sure while playing on grass.”
Zheng Qinwen also commented on the crowd's reaction to this incident during her match against Emma Raducanu.
Zheng Qinwen on the British crowd's reaction in match vs Emma Raducanu
Zheng Qinwen felt really clueless about what she needed to do while she was facing issues with her shoes on the grass at the HSBC Championships. Due to her stoppages, the crowd that cheered for Emma Raducanu was also jeered and expressed their dislike. In her post-match interview, she said:
"After that slip, I say, I have to go change the shoes or I’m gonna break my leg. But I didn’t know the crowd was so unhappy about my changing shoes. You know, it’s not what I can control that...Then, you know, it was not easy for me today to play in front of all the British crowd."
The tennis star will commence her Berlin Open journey, facing Elena Rybakina on Monday (June 16).