By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday April 16, 2024
At the first big clay court event of the European swing, Zheng Qinwen powered into the round of 16, while Jelena Ostapenko was defeated.
Photo Source: Getty
Zheng Qinwen opened accounts at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix with an impressive 6-2, 6-3 win over Sorana Cirstea on Tuesday in Stuttgart.
This year’s Australian Open runner up seeks her second career clay court title, after winning Palermo in 2023, and she will face either Marta Kostyuk or Laura Siegemund in the second round.
“Looks like an easy win but it wasn't easy, especially in the second set,” Zheng said after improving to 17-8 lifetime on clay by taking out the Wold No.29. “I was leading 4-0 up, and then I made a couple mistakes. Then she won three straight games in a row.
"It was a little bit like up-and-down moment."
Elsewhere No.6-seeded Marketa Vondrousova played her first match since retiring from the third round at Indian Wells, and earned a 6-4, 6-3 win over Donna Vekic. The 2019 Roland Garros runner up will face either Liudmila Samsonova or Anastasia Potapova in the round of 16.
No.8-seeded Jelena Ostapenko was the lone seeded player to fall on Tuesday, as the 2017 Roland Garros champion could manage only four games against 19-year-old Linda Noskova. The 31st-ranked Czech notched her third Top-10 win of the season – she has also defeated No.1-ranked Iga Swiatek and Maria Sakkari in 2024.
Seventh-seeded Ons Jabeur, third-seeded Coco Gauff and second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka will all play their opening matches on Wednesday in Stuttgart. So will Germany’s Angelique Kerber, who faces Emma Radacunu.