Despite an initial struggle with her serve, Zheng Qinwen, the Olympic medallist, battled her way into the US Open’s second round, outplaying wild card entrant Amanda Anisimova from America in a gripping three-set game (4-6 6-4 6-2) on Monday. Zheng, who was seeded seventh and made it to the quarter-finals in the previous year’s New York tournament, claimed 73% of her first-serve points and capitalised on six out of her 11 breakpoint opportunities over the course of a match that spanned two hours and twenty minutes at the Louis Armstrong Stadium where she lost her service four times.
Zheng, coming off just two hard court matches since clinching the Olympic singles gold in the Paris at Roland Garros, is set to face off against Erika Andreeva of Russia in her next matchup.
Meanwhile, at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, the reigning champion, Coco Gauff overpowered Varvara Gracheva, securing a dominating 6-2, 6-0 victory. Gauff, after securing the win which made her the youngest player since Maria Sharapova (who won nine between 2006 and 2007) to achieve eight back-to-back victories at the US Open, expressed her sentiments on experiencing tremendous pressure during the tournament. She spoke of the amazing previous year and her attempts to replicate the ‘vibe’. She admitted to a radical shift in perspective over the preceding week and confessed that despite certain phases of the match being challenging, she was pleased to be back and to showcase her finest tennis in recent times after a difficult few weeks.
In other news, former champion Dominic Thiem bow out uneventfully from the men’s singles, losing 6-4 6-2 6-2 to American Ben Shelton in the first round. Thiem, the Austrian player who won the 2020 Flushing Meadows title, has been recently grappling to regain his winning form and has declared that he will be retiring this season due to a persistent wrist injury.
Shelton, utilising his formidable forehand, rallied off eight aces during the inaugural matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The 21-year-old is aiming to replicate the remarkable success experienced during his trajectory to the semi-finals the previous year.
Notwithstanding his challenges with the serve, Thiem demonstrated resiliency as he staved off two break points in the 10th game. However, under consistent pressure, Shelton coerced him into an error leading to a break on the third try and securing the preliminary set.
Throughout the first game of the second set, the American fended off any break point chance Thiem could muster. Thiem, faltering slightly, gifted Shelton a break in the immediate game that followed due to a double fault and an unforced error.
Navigating through the next fortnight, Shelton might be formidable if his performance continues to impress. He sealed the second set by breaking Thiem, for the second time. The noticeable incisiveness in the third set bore testament to his dominance as he subjugated it and ended the match with a striking display of 34 winners.