By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Monday, August 26, 2024

NEW YORK—A history-making rise in Paris compelled Zheng Qinwen to prevent a Flushing Meadows fall.

American Amanda Anisimova surged through five of the first six games before Zheng flipped the script in Louis Armstrong Stadium.

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Olympic gold-medal champion Zheng cleaned up her game and powered past Anisimova.

Zheng slashed eight of her 12 aces in the second set, repelling Anisimova 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to advance to the US Open second round.

“Well obviously she’s hitting the ball good today,” Zheng said of Anisimova afterward. “She hit every ball on the side and every ball went in on the side in the beginning. And I couldn’t do anything and also at the beginning, I don’t have my first serve.

“But the more the match goes I start to find my rhythm on hard court. I really believe my shots help a lot, I started to be more consistent, also more [higher] percentage on my serve. And little by little I started to get into the rhythm. But I want to say good job by Anisimova. She had a really good performance on court.



The seventh-seeded Zheng said her goal for this US Open was to sustain the high level of play she showed stunning world No. 1 Iga Swiatek and Donna Vekic in succession to make history as China’s first tennis singles medalist.

Zheng said resetting after her golden moment has been challenging.

"It is really hard, because I know gold medal means a lot to my country, for my family," Zheng said. "Also for me. It's not, like, you get gold medal before. You have the first one, of course you're going to stay long time in the successful feeling. I done that in Australian Open but I was just in the final, and effect takes me so long to come back to reality.

"I had this experience already, so this time when I had success in Olympic Games, to come to next tournament, I say, everything starts zero. You are not anymore Olympic champion. Just be humble and trying to work, fight every single match, because if you don't fight, you have a big chance you lost, yeah."



The reality of backing up her biggest career win has left Zheng hyper-focused on sustaining her lofty level of play.

"I had a lot of ups and downs after Australia, because I say I lost some motivations, I'm different in the practice," Zheng said. "And after I won Olympic gold medals, the first thing I told to myself is I want to keep the motivation on. I don't want to let myself slip again.

"I really want to improve one more time in my mental side. It means how to maintain the level when you are become a champion and just to keep winning, winning, winning, instead of getting relaxed and let yourself lose easy match.

"If I'm able to do that, I think I will really break through some wall that I have for myself. I'm just trying to work really hard on my mental side. I wish this time I can perform as well."

In one of the most-highly anticipated openers of the tournament, Toronto finalist Anisimova was firing flat drives into the corners exploiting the Zheng running forehand in building a one-set lead.

As the match progressed, Zheng was striking with more accuracy on the run and served with more authority.

Whipping the wide serve effectively, Zheng won 73 percent of her first-serve points compared to 62 percent for Anisimova, who took treatment for an apparent blister on her left foot before the start of the decider.



Zheng was moving better in the final set. The Australian Open finalist won 12 of the first 15 points in bursting out to a 3–0 lead in the final set.

The 2023 WTA Most Improved Player, Zheng will face Erika Andreeva, sister of Mirra Andreeva in round two.

Erika Andreeva hit eight aces edging Yue Yuan 6-3, 7-6(6).

China’s Wang Yafan took the opening set from Maria Sakkari 6-2 when the ninth-seeded Greek retired with an apparent shoulder injury. Sakkari, a 2021 US Open finalist, has managed just one win in her last three Flushing Meadows appearances.

Olympic silver medalist Donna Vekic defeated Aussie qualifier Kimberly Birrell 6-4, 6-4. Wimbledon semifinalist Vekic will play Magdalena Frech or Greet Minnen next.

No. 27-seeded Elina Svitolina stopped Maria Lourdes Carle 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.