Zheng makes winning return to Paris

The final time Zheng Qinwen stood on Courtroom Philippe-Chatrier at Roland Garros, she was making historical past as the primary Chinese language participant to win the Olympic gold medal — famously toppling Iga Swiatek for the highest prize final August.

Roland Garros: Attracts | Scores | 411

On Sunday, she made a successful return to the venue by kicking off her French Open marketing campaign with a 6-4, 6-3 win over 2021 event finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

With the 1-hour, 22-minute win, the No. 8 seed exacted a measure of revenge towards former World No. 11 Pavlyuchenkova — having misplaced to her of their first profession assembly in Cincinnati final summer time — and likewise improved her first-round document at Roland Garros to 4-0. 

Listed below are extra takeaways from Zheng’s opening win:

First rounds keep fruitful for Zheng: The primary spherical of Grand Slams have been a contented searching floor for Zheng in her profession. The 23-year-old is now 14-2 on the opening hurdle at majors — and each of these opening losses have come at Wimbledon.

Enjoying beneath the roof on Chatrier roof as rain disrupted play elsewhere, Zheng by no means trailed in her newest opening effort — however she was examined considerably. First, she wanted to regroup after Pavlyuchenkova pulled even from 4-1 down within the first set. She broke for the set within the tenth sport, hitting two of her 13 winners within the set — almost double that of Pavlychenkova — on the primary two factors, and forcing the 33-year-old into two extra misses with extra aggressive play.

In set two, she twice led by a break, solely to be damaged again instantly every time. However her fifth break of Pavlyuchenkova’s serve within the match proved decisive, after denying her three possibilities to degree the set at 4-4. 

“I think the match is not easy, especially if she’s playing really aggressive. And then she had couple of great winners,” Zheng stated afterwards. “I’m just happy to won the first match here because I always think the first match in the Slams is tricky.”

Will clay-court success imply Parisian glory? In her fourth French Open, Zheng will likely be hoping that her clay-court success elsewhere will lastly translate to a deep run on the Parisian main. Relationship again to the Olympics final yr, Zheng is now 17-3 on clay in her previous 20 matches.

What’s subsequent?: Within the opening hours of Day 1, Zheng’s path ahead already cleared of 1 potential menace. Germany’s Eva Lys was a 6-0, 6-3 winner over No. 28 seed Peyton Stearns — who beat Naomi Osaka and Elina Svitolina on her technique to the semifinals on the Internazionali BNL d’Italia and was Zheng’s projected third-round opponent. 

Lys will face gifted Canadian 18-year-old Victoria Mboko subsequent, who was a 6-1, 7-6(4) winner over 2024 Wimbledon quarterfinalist Lulu Solar in her Grand Slam main-draw debut, whereas Zheng will face Colombia’s Emilana Arango, who ousted Alexandra Eala.