By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Saturday, August 24, 2024
Picture credit score: Matthew Calvis
NEW YORK—Zheng Qinwen made impressed historical past on Paris’ pink clay.
The Olympic gold-medal champion goals to keep away from ignominious historical past on New York’s laborious courts.
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A smiling Zheng soared into historical past sweeping Croatian Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-3 on Court docket Philippe Chatrier to turn into the primary Chinese language participant to seize an Olympic tennis gold medal earlier this month.
The seventh-seeded Zheng faces a robust US Open first-round take a look at in opposition to former French Open semifinalist Amanda Anisimova in a battle of huge hitters set for Monday at 11 a.m. in Louis Armstrong Stadium.
“The considered US Open is simply making an attempt to carry out as the perfect as I can each match,” Zheng advised the media. “There’s not many issues I’ve to say, as a result of after I notice if I simply focus match by match, that is the perfect I can do. Yeah, I am unable to assume too far.”
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Australian Open finalist Zheng confirmed her talent for the down-the-line kill shot and aggressive calm roaring via seven of the final eight video games surprising Polish world No. 1 Iga Swiatek 6-2, 7-5 within the Paris Olympics semifinals.
Enjoying with poise and energy, Zheng made historical past reaching the gold-medal match in her Olympic debut. The 21-year-old Zheng snapped Swiatek’s 25-match Roland Garros successful streak to do it.
Zheng can play with heavier topspin than a few of her Prime 10 rivals and is keen to wage lengthy baseline rallies. The problem for Zheng is adapting her expansive backswings to the US Open faster laborious courts.
Zheng mentioned her Olympic gold medal is a psychological security web: She is concentrated on sustaining the lofty stage she confirmed in Paris subsequent week in New York.
“I had numerous ups and downs after Australia, as a result of I say I misplaced some motivations, I am completely different within the follow,” Zheng mentioned. “And after I gained Olympic gold medals, the very first thing I advised to myself is I need to preserve the motivation on. I do not need to let myself slip once more.
“I actually need to enhance yet another time in my psychological facet. It is imply methods to keep the extent when you find yourself turn into a champion and simply to maintain successful, successful, successful, as an alternative of getting relaxed and let your self lose straightforward match.
“If I am ready to try this, I feel I’ll actually break via some wall that I’ve for myself. I am simply making an attempt to work actually laborious on my psychological facet. I want this time I can carry out as effectively.”
Ought to Zheng defeat the damaging Anisimova in her opener, she can be on tempo to face Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, whom Zheng defeated 6-4, 6-4 within the Australian Open semifinals, in a US Open third-round conflict adopted by a attainable fourth-round match vs. Vekic in what can be a rematch of the Olympic gold-medal ultimate.