August 01, (THEWILL) – On Thursday, Zheng Qinwen made history by becoming the first Chinese tennis player to reach an Olympic singles final. The world number seven defeated top-ranked Iga Swiatek 6-2 7-5 in the women’s singles semi-final at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Zheng’s victory ended Swiatek’s 25-match winning streak in Paris and marked her first triumph over the Polish star in seven meetings. The 21-year-old Chinese player dominated the first set, breaking Swiatek’s serve three times. Despite falling behind 4-0 in the second set, Zheng mounted a comeback, winning seven consecutive games to clinch the match.
“I feel more than just happy – happy is not enough to describe how I feel,” Zheng said after the match. She will face either Croatia’s Donna Vekic or Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the gold medal match. Zheng’s achievement surpasses that of Li Na, who finished fourth in the women’s event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Swiatek, a four-time French Open champion, struggled throughout the match, committing 36 unforced errors and losing her serve six times. The 23-year-old Polish player was unable to maintain her early lead in the second set against Zheng’s powerful play.
The match took place in sweltering conditions on Court Philippe Chatrier. Zheng, who had played back-to-back three-hour matches to reach the semi-final, showed remarkable stamina and determination. “If you ask me to play another three hours for my country, I would,” she declared, emphasising her commitment to representing China at the Olympics.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
