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E-mail Xinhua, August 29, 2024
China's top tennis players delivered standout performances on the third day of the 2024 U.S. Open, as Zheng Qinwen, Wang Yafan and Shang Juncheng all advanced to the third round.
Zheng Qinwen of China hits a return during the women's singles second round match against Erika Andreeva of Russia at the 2024 US Open tennis championships in New York, the United States, on Aug. 28, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Rui)
Seventh-seeded Zheng faced a tough challenge from Erika Andreeva, who had cruised past China's Yuan Yue in the first round. Andreeva started strongly, using a combination of angled ground shots and drop strokes to force Zheng into long rallies in the sweltering New York heat.
Andreeva took a 4-2 lead in the first set, but Zheng managed to push the set to a tiebreak, before ultimately losing 7-6 (3). However, Zheng quickly found her rhythm, firing 14 aces in the next two sets to secure a 6-1, 6-2 comeback victory, marking her third consecutive year reaching the third round at Flushing Meadows.
"I started the match quite slow. Little by little I started to feel better in the reaction, in my serve," said Zheng, the Paris Olympics gold medallist.
"Honestly, today, I know [how] I entered the match wasn't the way I wanted, but I'm glad I still fought until the end. I didn't give up, because she got a lot of chances in the second set," Zheng added.
Meanwhile, Wang also made history by advancing to the round of 32 for the first time in her career. She defeated France's rising star Diane Parry in straight sets, 6-0, 6-4. Wang's first-serve win rate was 76 percent, significantly higher than Parry's 55. Next, Wang will face 20th seed and two-time US Open finalist Victoria Azarenka.
On the men's side, 19-year-old Shang also reached the round of 32 for the first time at the U.S. Open, defeating Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (2). The victory propelled Shang to a new career-high ranking of world No. 65. His next opponent will be eighth seed Casper Ruud of Norway, who had battled for nearly three hours to overcome France's Gael Monfils earlier in the day.
In other matches, third-seeded Coco Gauff defeated 37-year-old Tatjana Maria of Germany 6-4, 6-0, staying on course for her U.S. Open title defense. Paris 2024 Olympic gold medalist Novak Djokovic advanced after fellow Serbian Laslo Djere retired while trailing 6-4, 6-4, 2-0.
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