(ECNS) -- China's tennis ace Zheng Qinwen defeated top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals of the WTA 1000 Italian Open with 6-4, 6-3 in Rome on Thursday (Beijing Time).
This victory marks Zheng's first win over Sabalenka in their seven encounters.
"Finally, I broke through! I've always believed that I have what it takes to beat anyone, and I'm so happy I made it happen today," she said following the victory.
In the first three games of the opening set, both Zheng and Sabalenka held serve, with the latter leading 2-1. Zheng saved two break points in the fourth game to hold serve, then broke Sabalenka at love in the fifth game. The two players traded holds over the next four games, with Zheng leading 5-4. In the tenth game, Zheng fired two aces and closed the set at 6-4.
In the second set, Zheng kept up the momentum and sealed the victory 6-3 with a hold and a final break.
This is the third time that Zheng has reached the semifinals of the WTA 1000 Italian Open in her career.
She credited her victory to a strong start and tactical adjustments in her post-match interview.
"I was more patient than her (Sabalenka)," Zheng said. She believes she has controlled unforced errors well and can seize opportunities for victory, while Sabalenka hit 27 unforced errors to just 15 winners in the game.
"In the past, when I played her, I struggled to see things clearly — partly because of her No.1 ranking and Grand Slam titles, and partly because I grew up watching her play," she added.
She noted that she effectively maintained her state during the game, playing more consistently than her opponent.
"I'm just happy with my performance and happy to make the step forward to beat the World No. 1," she said.
The Chinese Tennis Association congratulated Zheng in an official statement, saying, "Every barrier is breakable, and all roads lead to Rome. We applaud Zheng Qinwen for overcoming mountains and surpassing her limits."
(By Zhang Dongfang)
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