Zheng Qinwen: Last year’s Australian Open finalist stunned in biggest upset yet

CNN
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Zheng Qinwenlast year’s beaten Australian Open finalist, became the highest seed to fall at this year’s tournament after she was stunned by world no. 97 Laura Siegemund in the second round.

Zheng, the fifth seed in Melbourne, was beaten 7-6 (3), 6-3 by the 36-year-old German veteran, who has now reached the third round Down Under for just the third time in his career.

“Not much to say because I tried to do what I could during this match, but I feel that today might not be my day,” Zheng told reporters after the match. “There are many details about the important points that I did not make the right choice.

“I had many chances to break her in the first set, but in that moment my concentration was maybe not there, I always made a slight mistake in those moments.”

Twice during the match, Zheng, who claimed the women’s singles gold medal at the Paris Olympics, was hit with a time violation while preparing to serve.

One came at a crucial moment in the second set when Zheng served at 1-2, 15-30. During a heated exchange with the judge, the 22-year-old said she could not see the clock from which she served.

The umpire then told Zheng to look at the clock before she started preparing to serve.

After some back and forth, Zheng flung her subsequent second serve straight down the floor and went on to lose her service game, which proved to be the decisive break in the second set.

“From my angle, the time was on the side, so I couldn’t see if I threw the ball, I couldn’t catch the time, so I didn’t know if I was late or early,” Zheng explained. “I was so surprised to get the second serve (after the violation), it’s never happened to me before.

“This one really distracts me from the game. This is the first time I’ve had this situation with a time violation. This is my fourth year on the tour and it had never happened to me.”

Elsewhere in the women’s bracket, two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka was made to work hard for her win by Spain’s Jéssica Bouzas.

Sabalenka had to fight back from 2-5 down in the second set, but eventually reached the third round after winning 6-3, 7-5.

Naomi Osaka, another two-time Australian Open champion, came from a set down to record an impressive 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory over 20th seed Karolína Muchová, while Coco Gauff, America’s best hope Down Under , eased past Great Britain’s Jodie Burrage 6-3, 7-5.

Meanwhile, Casper Ruud became the highest-ranked player to be eliminated from the men’s tie after No. The 6 seed suffered a shock 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 defeat to Czech teenager Jakub Menšík.

Menšík, currently ranked 48th in the world, will be one of tennis’ rising stars to watch this season; the 19-year-old has now won five of his last seven matches against top-10 opponents, per tennis.com, and reached the third round in three of his first five career grand slams.