On a warm, sunny afternoon at Madrid’s Caja Mágica, Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen’s bid for Madrid Open glory ended in a 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Russia’s Anastasia Potapova. Seeded eighth and world No. 8, Zheng struggled to find her serve rhythm, winning just 40% of first-serve points in the opening set, while Potapova claimed 64% to stay on top.
Key Stats and Turning Points
- Match duration: 1 hour 39 minutes
- First-serve points won: Zheng 40%, Potapova 64%
- Breaks of serve: Zheng broke at 5-3 but was broken in the 10th game
- Second set swings: Zheng led by a break before Potapova broke back in games 7 and 9
Zheng’s lone highlight came when she broke Potapova to close to 5-3 in the first set, only to see her opponent seize the decisive games. A stronger run of service holds in the second set wasn’t enough: Potapova delivered the crucial returns to seal the win.
Upset Wave at the Round of 64
China’s singles representation in Madrid concluded with Zheng’s exit. The day saw more surprises:
- Ons Jabeur fell to Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
- Ekaterina Alexandrova upset by Olga Danilovic 6-3, 6-4
- Peyton Stearns edged Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 2-6, 7-5
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka kicked off her title defense smoothly, beating Anna Blinkova 6-3, 6-4, while Elina Svitolina and Elise Mertens also advanced with straight-set wins.
For Zheng, the loss is a chance to regroup ahead of the clay season’s stretch run, with the Italian Open and Roland-Garros on the horizon. Fans worldwide will be watching to see if the Olympic gold medalist can rediscover her top form on Europe’s red dirt.
Reference(s):
Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen bows out in second round at Madrid Open
cgtn.com
