By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday October 11, 2022
China's Zheng Qinwen advanced when Garbine Muguruza retired after just five games on Tuesday in San Diego.
Photo Source: CN
China’s Zheng Qinwen was the only player who could muster a set against Iga Swiatek in Paris this year, as the world-beating Pole made a beeline to her second of three major titles at Roland-Garros.
This week in San Diego, the 20-year-old will have a chance to take another shot at Swiatek.
Granted access to the main draw via lucky loser after Elena Rybakina withdrew, Zheng knocked past Garbine Muguruza, 5-0 RET on Tuesday, as the Spaniard was forced to retire due to illness.
Zheng, who lost in the final round of qualifying to Colombia’s Camila Osorio, 4-6 6-4, 7-6(3), was actually not well enough to sign in as a lucky loser on Monday, but made the decision to do so on Tuesday when her body felt better after a fall in her match against Osorio.
Zheng took the first set of her first meeting with Swiatek in a tiebreak, but fell 6-7(5), 6-0, 6-2.
It has been a breakthrough season for the Chinese youngster, who made her debut at all four majors and reached the round of 16 in Paris, and the third round at Wimbledon and the US Open.
Zheng, ranked 28, has compiled a 22-16 record in main draw tour-level matches, and reached the final at Tokyo two weeks ago before falling to Liudmila Samsonova in the final.
Swiatek has high praise for Zheng after their encounter in Paris.
“It's hard for me to say how she plays on hard court because I didn't really watch her matches,” she said. “I felt on my racquet today that she can play some really heavy topspin, and I feel like if she's going to use it the right way she can really be a great player.
The Pole said she wasn’t sure what type of future Zheng would have but she was sure that she had the talent to go far.
“Honestly, it's like staying in WTA on a top level, it's a mix of, you know, many things. So it's hard to say really, but I hope she's gonna stay here, because she can really play great tennis, and that, I know,” she said.
Kasatkina Advances, Sakkari Falls
Daria Kasatkina bolstered her chances of qualification at the WTA Finals in Fort Worth, thanks to an impressive 6-2 6-2 takedown of Leylah Fernandez, while Maria Sakkari continues to flounder.
The Greek was beaten by Donna Vekic 7-6(3), 6-1, and remains out of contention in the race standings.
Vekic won 10 of the final 12 games against Sakkari for her first Top-10 win in more than a year.
Sakkari entered the week just 69 points behind Veronika Kudermetova for the final qualification spot for the WTA Finals, which begins on October 30 in Dallas.
Kasatkina is in sixth in the Race standings, ahead of Sakkari by 348 points.
Elsewhere in San Diego, Sloane Stephens topped Jil Teichmann, 6-1, 7-6(4), Karolina Pliskova defeated Caroline Dolehide, 6-3, 6-4, and Coco Gauff’s night session match with Robin Montgomery was held over due to rain with Gauff leading, 6-3, 3-2, deuce (up by a break in the second set).