"Was a special feeling to play against her today"- Qinwen Zheng on beating Venus Williams in Cincinnati
World No. 24 Qinwen Zheng recently shared her thoughts after defeating tennis legend Venus Williams in Cincinnati.
Fresh off a title-winning run in Palermo last month, the Chinese player is currently finding her feet on the hardcourts. With brilliant wins over Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Venus Williams, Zheng is through to the last 16 in Cincinnati for the first time in her career.
Zheng opened up about her emotions on the court following her match against Venus Williams and mentioned that it was a special feeling to play the American veteran.
“That was super special. Especially at the beginning.. Always super respect to Venus Williams. I was watching her on tv when I was just a little kid. That was a special feeling to play against her today,” Qinwen Zheng said.
The highly rated 20-year-old took on Venus Williams for the first time in her career. She secured a remarkable comeback win against the seven-time Grand Slam champion, outlasting her in one hour and 57 minutes 1-6, 6-2, 6-1.
Zheng has been putting in the hard yards for the last few years. She was ranked outside the top 100 in 2021 but has made her way into the top 25 in the latest WTA rankings update on July 24, 2023. She is currently ranked 24th in the world following her maiden tour-level title at the Palermo Ladies Open.
The youngster has had an encouraging season so far, amassing 25 wins from 40 matches, including a semifinal appearance at the Qatar Open and a last-eight finish at the Italian Open.
Qinwen Zheng will be hoping to perform well at the US Open Championships and improve her Grand Slam record, which hasn't been up to the mark so far.
Qinwen Zheng to square off against Iga Swiatek in R3 of the Western and Southern Open
World No. 24 Qinwen Zheng will take on World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the third round of the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.
The duo have faced each other on three occasions before, with Swiatek maintaining a 100 percent success ratio against the 20-year-old. The Pole defeated Zheng most recently at the 2023 Stuttgart Open in straight sets 6-1, 6-4.
However, Zheng has pushed Swiatek to the limit on two occasions. She is one of the few players to have taken a set off the World No. 1 on clay. If the Chinese professional starts well and holds her nerve in crucial moments, she could cause some problems for the top seed.
While Zheng got the better of Venus Williams in the second round, Iga Swiatek breezed past Danielle Collins in straight sets 6-1, 6-0.
The winner of this clash between Zheng and Swiatek could square off against Marketa Vondrousova or Sloane Stephens.