US OPEN: China’s Wang, Zheng cruise into pre-quarterfinals; Shang exits
NEW YORK, AUGUST 30: China’s Yafan Wang shocked world number 20 Vicotria Azarenka in a three-setter to storm into US Open pre-quarterfinals for her best-ever performance at the Grand Slams after Qinwen Zheng made the fourth round with a commanding straight-set win over Germany’s Jule Niemeier.
Ranked 80, Wang stood out with her consistent first-serve points against the two-time major winner Belarusian, who committed as many as 32 unforced errors.
Wang, who featured in top-50 back in 2020, won 6-4 3-6 6-1 in two hours and 22 minutes. Making the Australian Open third round was Wang’s best performance before this inspiring show at the Flushing Meadows.
The win would be special for Wang having lost to Azarenka at the Washington Open, a month ago. She will now face Paulo Badosa for a place in the quarterfinals.
Olympic gold medallist Zheng had no trouble in dispatching the burly German in her third round, which she won 6-2 6-1.
Zheng served big, made deep returns and had better control over her strokes while Niemeier hit big, but struggled to keep the ball inside the lines.
This was Zheng’s first straight-set win after two consecutive three-setters in her previous two matches.
However, in men’s singles Asia’s challenge ended with the heart-breaking exit of China’s Juncheng Shang. Shang led 2-0 against eighth seed Casper Ruud but lost the next three sets in an inexplicable meltdown.
Shang, a 2021 junior US Open finalist, put himself in a great position for his first top-10 career win but lost 7-6 (1) 6-3 0-6 3-6 1-6 in a marathon third-round match that lasted three hours and 44 minutes.
Had he won Shang could have become the first Chinese male tennis player in the Open era to make it to the Round of 16 at a Grand Slam.
“It requires a strong mentality. We’re all physically strong out here. It’s a matter of having the right mindset and believing all the way,” Ruud said after his win.
“Luckily, I wasn’t down in the 3rd set, that third set probably I got some fire going. I just kept believing. I felt really in the zone in the last set. It’s the second time in my career, the second time here at the US Open. So there’s something about this place I guess,” Ruud added.
Elsewhere, Rohan Bopanna (IND) won his men’s doubles second round and the mixed doubles opener. Yuki Bhambri (IND) advanced to the men’s doubles third round but N Sriram Balaji (IND) lost the second round with partner Guido Anderozzi (ARG).
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