By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Saturday, August 3, 2024
Zheng Qinwen made history as the first Chinese player to capture an Olympic tennis gold medal with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Croatian Donna Vekic.
Photo credit: Patricia De Melo Moreira/AFP/Getty
The Chinese flag flew from her shoulders like a cape.
A smiling Zheng Qinwen soared into history sweeping Croatian Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-3 on Court Philippe Chatrier to become the first Chinese player to capture an Olympic tennis gold medal.
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Firing one final forehand winner down the line, Zheng hit her way into history then crashed to the red clay falling flat on her back in sheer elation while her box went bonkers.
“That means everything because since I was a little kid I really want the gold medal for my country,” Zheng told NBC’s Britney Eurton. “Maybe not gold—just a medal—and this time I made it.
“A gold medal, nobody did that in tennis in Asia. I feel so happy to create history…Yeah, this feeling is unbelievable.” There was major cause for massive celebration.
In her Olympic debut, the 21-year-old Zheng not only became a champion from a 10th different country to capture an Olympic women singles gold medal, she completed the most dynamic tournament run of her career.
Zheng saved a match point defeating American Emma Navarro 6-7(7), 7-6(4), 6-1 in a contentious clash. That comeback was a prelude to Zheng stopping three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(6) in an epic quarterfinal.
In the semifinals, Zheng roared through seven of the last eight games shocking Polish world No. 1 Iga Swiatek 6-2, 7-5 and snapping the four-time French Open champion’s 25-match Roland Garros winning streak in the process.
Today’s final was much closer than the scoreline suggests. Yet Zheng never trailed and continued driving the ball deep as second-set pressure intensified.
Australian Open finalist Zheng broke in the opening game, fended off three break points in the first set and played with more aggression and poise than the veteran Vekic.
Settling severe shakes, Zheng kept her nerve at closing time defeating two Grand Slam champions and her fellow medalists en route to the gold medal.
“Well the last point I’m really nervous my hand is shaking actually every match when I go to the bathroom my body is shaking,” Zheng told NBC’s Britney Eurton. “Because I never feel so hungry, like this, to win one match.
“I could give everything I can, but I know tennis doesn’t work like this. It’s not you give everything and get all the time the result you want. I feel so proud of myself that this time I beat the pressure, I beat the limit of myself.”
Both women had saved a match point en route to this historic Olympic final.
Riding a 10-match winning streak into this gold-medal match, Zheng opened with a confidence hold at 15.
Armed with the confidence that comes from winning 13 of her last 15 matches, Vekic looked a little skittish at the start spraying three forehand errors to cede the break and a 2-0 lead to the Chinese.
The 21-year-old Zheng denied a pair of break points—withstanding the second when Vekic missed a forehand down the line long—and stung a serve winner working through a tense hold for 3-0.
Points were growing physical as Zheng plastered a topspin forehand just inside the baseline that helped her hold at 30 for 4-1 after 26 minutes of play.
Facing a second break point in the seventh game, Zheng came forward threw down a smash and flicked a fine forehand drop volley to save it. Dodging the dilemma, Zheng slid a short forehand to hold for 5-2.
Running down a dropper, Zheng popped up a reply. Vekic seemed to play an out ball as a leaping Zheng knifed a backhand volley for 15-30.
Miniscule margins ultimately swung the set in Zheng’s favor. The Chinese cracked a forehand down the line on game point. Vekic held up an index finger to indicate it was out, however the chair umpire checked the mark and ruled the drive good. Instead of a Vekic hold the game continued.
The 13th-seeded Croatian narrowly missed her own forehand down the line to face set point. Hammering a heavy forehand, Zheng snatched a one-set lead with her second break of the final.
Though Vekic earned three break points in the set, Zheng saved all three, hit four more winners (7 to 3) and defended better on the run to build a one-set lead.
The experience of playing her maiden major final at the Australian Open last January had to help Zheng handle immense nerves today.
In Melbourne, Zheng lost eight of the first nine points of the AO final falling to defending-champion Aryna Sabalenka, 6-3, 6-2.
When she earned the one-set lead today, the two-time Palermo champion Zheng stretched it.
Banging a deep backhand return down the line, Zheng stepped in and smacked a forehand winner down the line. That drive sealed Zheng’s third break as she surged ahead 6-2, 2-0.
The 28-year-old Vekic needed a stand and made it. Vekic was dictating more points with her forehand as she rattled out a series of forehand errors breaking back for 1-2.
Though she squandered a 40-love lead in the next game, Vekic came through a deuce hold stinging the line with a serve winner to level the set after four games.
Slashing successive serve winners, Zheng held for 3-2.
Vekic threw up a tame lob, but Zheng was waiting and swatted a smash for double break point in the eighth game. A frustrated Vekic tossed her Yonex racquet to the court in disgust.
Annoyed by Zheng holding up her hand to slow the server, Vekic reset. Then Vekic attacked and blocked a forehand volley to save the first break point. A heavy forehand into the corner saved the second break point.
Attacking behind a forehand down the line, Vekic looked to be in a winning position, but Zheng hit a challenging defensive lob. Vekic put her smash into net to face a third break point. She saved it slamming a serve down the middle.
The sixth seed pasted a forehand off the baseline for a fourth break point. This time, Zheng would not be denied. Jolting Vekic back behind the baseline, Zheng drew a wild backhand error to break for 5-3.
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The 21-year-old Olympic debutant was four points from Olympic gold.
A clever forehand drop shot winner helped Zheng reach triple gold-medal match point.
Sliding the wide serve to open the court, Zheng zapped one final forehand winner then crashed to the court in pure joy.
Bathing in the red clay, Zheng thrust her arms toward the sky absorbing this gold medal moment that came on the same Court Chatrier where her hero, Li Na, made history winning the 2011 French Open to become the first Asian player—male or female—to lift a Grand Slam singles crown.
As a child, Zheng and her classmates watched Li Na clinch the 2014 Australian Open championship on TV in school.
Last January, Zheng met Li Na for the first time at Melbourne Park where the pair engaged in an embrace and her hero encouraged the No. 12 seed to “keep it simple”.
This gold medal moment was a proving ground will stay with Zheng forever.
““I didn’t know before if I was able to go win five matches in a row, especially seven hours [of play] in two days in a row,” Zheng said. “I feel here in this tournament I broke through my limit. And in the future, it doesn’t matter how young I am, I will remember this moment and always cheer me up for this moment.”