New York [US], September 8: Zheng Qinwen won a set from 5-0 down for the second match in succession as she extended her fantastic US Open run by beating former champion Iga Swiatek to reach the quarter-finals.
Zheng, the reigning Olympic champion and former world number four, dropped outside the world's top 100 earlier this year while struggling to regain her best form following elbow surgery in July 2025.
The 23-year-old from China had trailed Madison Keys 5-0 in the deciding set of their third-round match on Saturday before winning seven successive games.
And Zheng was 5-0 down in the opening set against Poland's eighth seed Swiatek, but won 13 of the next 16 games on Arthur Ashe Stadium to move into quarter-finals.
The second set was on serve until the seventh game, when Zheng crushed a powerful backhand return winner to secure a crucial break, and she broke again two games later to complete a 7-5 6-3 victory.
This latest win - her seventh in a row in New York having come through three rounds of qualifying - will put her back to the brink of the top 50.
"The more matches I play, the more rhythm I have on court," said Zheng. "People have asked me if I'm tired and when I arrived I was not tired at all. I felt really pumped for my match, trying to reach better levels here and enjoy this fantastic stadium."
Zheng awaits the winner of No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina vs No. 13 seed Naomi Osaka clash. If Osaka advances, Zheng holds a 2-1 edge.
Andreeva's sportsmanship act in win over Potapova
No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva staved off a determined upset bid by No. 24 seed Anastasia Potapovato reach the first US Open quarter-final of her career, advancing 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in 2 hours and 27 minutes.
As Potapova served to stay in the match down 5-3 in the decider, the Austrian fell while chasing an Andreeva forehand, requiring medical attention to her left knee.
The pair had been battling for over two hours at this point, but Andreeva was over at her opponent's side within seconds. The 19-year-old helped a limping Potapova to her chair and called for ice as she underwent treatment.
Though Potapova resumed play with her knee heavily strapped, it was to no avail. Visibly hampered, she didn't win another point, and the pair shared a long embrace after an ending that was ill-befitting of such a hard-fought contest.
"Nastya, she's my good friend," Andreeva said in her on-court interview.
"Seeing what a battle we had, and seeing in the last game her fall like this, it's not easy. I can imagine what she's going through and I have goosebumps on my body. It's not the way obviously you want to finish the match, or to see one of your good friends finish the match. I just told her that she's been playing amazing so far, she's been having one of the best seasons, and I'm sure that she's going to come back even stronger because she's a warrior. I think she's even a better fighter than me."
Source: Qatar Tribune
