In a thrilling display of skill and determination, top-seeded Zheng Qinwen of the Chinese mainland secured her spot in the quarterfinals of the Pan Pacific Open. Held in Tokyo, Japan, Zheng triumphed over Japan's Moyuka Uchijima with a decisive 7-5, 6-0 victory in the women’s singles second-round match on Thursday.
The match kicked off intensely as Zheng broke Uchijima’s serve in the third game, only for the Japanese player to retaliate in the fourth. Both competitors held their serves tightly, bringing the first set to a 5-5 standoff. Zheng then showcased her prowess by converting two critical break points in game 11, finishing the set with a straight forehand winner to lead 6-5. She maintained her momentum in the 12th game, setting up two match points and clinching the first to secure the victory.
Uchijima struggled in the second set, making several unforced errors that allowed Zheng to break her serve three times in the first five games. Despite Uchijima saving the first match point with a resilient play, Zheng sealed the deal with another powerful forehand winner, ensuring her advancement to the quarterfinal stage.
Next up for Zheng is a formidable challenge against No. 8 seed Leylah Fernandez of Canada, the 2021 U.S. Open runner-up. The two have a history of competitive matches, having faced each other three times. While Fernandez has won two of those encounters, Zheng emerged victorious in their latest meeting at the Wuhan Open earlier this October with a score of 5-7, 6-3, 6-0.
Meanwhile, other notable performances at the tournament include third-seeded Daria Kasatkina of Russia's comeback victory over McCartney Kessler of the U.S. with a scoreline of 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, and No. 9 seed Katie Boulter of Britain effortlessly defeating Japan’s Kyoka Okamura 6-1, 6-2. These results set the stage for an exciting quarterfinal round as the competition intensifies.
Reference(s):
No. 1 seed Zheng Qinwen advances to quarterfinals at Pan Pacific Open
cgtn.com
