Zheng Qinwen of China kicked off her 2025 Australian Open campaign with an impressive 7-6(3), 6-1 victory against Romania's Anca Todoni in the women's singles first round at Melbourne Park on Sunday.
Todoni, 20, made her Australian Open main draw debut as a qualifier, facing Zheng in her first match at the tournament. The first set was tightly contested, with both players holding all of their first three service games, leading to a 3-3 tie. Zheng, demonstrating her strong serve, conceded only one point in her initial service games, creating a critical break point in the seventh game. Although Todoni saved the break point with an ace, Zheng broke her service interval by scoring two consecutive points, taking a 4-3 lead.
The competition intensified as Todoni fought back, leading 5-3 and pushing the set to a tense 5-5 tie after an 11-minute rally that featured five draw points. Despite Zheng holding her serve to lead 6-5 in the 11th game, Todoni challenged her with three set points in the 12th, all of which Zheng successfully defended, forcing the set into a tiebreak. Zheng triumphed in the tiebreak with a 7-3 score, securing a 1-0 lead in the match.
Buoyed by the close competition in the first set, Zheng entered the second set with increased aggression. She broke Todoni's serve early, establishing a quick 3-0 lead. Although Todoni managed to hold her serve in the fourth game following a medical timeout, Zheng's unstoppable momentum continued as she clinched three consecutive games to seal the match, concluding with a commanding 6-1 second set.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
