Qinwen Zheng Upsets Sabalenka and Advances to Semifinals in Rome
In an exciting match at the Italian Open, Qinwen Zheng achieved her first victory against the world number one, Aryna Sabalenka, with a score of 6-4, 6-3. This triumph secures her a place in the semifinals, where she will face Coco Gauff.
Zheng, 22, the Chinese Olympic champion, broke a streak of six consecutive losses against Sabalenka. Showing great solidity, Zheng saved the five break points she faced and broke Sabalenka’s serve on three occasions, securing her place in the penultimate round of the tournament.
The Rome tournament serves as the last major preparation before the start of Roland Garros, which will begin on May 25.
Gauff Continues Her Dominance and Secures a Spot in the Semifinals
Coco Gauff, for her part, also advanced to the semifinals, extending her undefeated streak against Mirra Andreeva. Gauff showed an aggressive and consistent game, achieving a victory with scores of 6-4, 7-6 (5).
The tiebreak was a high-quality duel, with spectacular points from both players. Although Andreeva managed to tie the score at 5-5 with a great drop shot, Gauff remained firm and won the final two points to secure her victory.
Gauff holds a perfect record against Andreeva, having won all four previous encounters, including meetings at the French Open and the US Open in 2023, and in Madrid two weeks ago.
The other semifinal will pit Jasmine Paolini against Peyton Stearns.
