World No. 8 Zheng Qinwen shared her thoughts on her first victory over Aryna Sabalenka in seven matches. The pair met in the quarterfinals in Rome, where Zheng won 6/4, 6/3.
“Of course, I`m very happy because I`ve been trying to beat her for a long time. Sometimes I came very close, but I couldn`t get the win,”
Zheng said.
“This was the first time we played on clay. I believe I`m more comfortable on clay due to my positive experience playing on this surface.”
“I played a good match today because I was more patient than her. I noticed that when I made her play more points… I`m just happy with my performance and glad I took the next step by defeating the world number one [sic – Sabalenka was world No. 2 at the time].”
Q: What was key to your victory today?
“A: I think first of all, I told myself not to give her easy points. I know I have more advantages in long rallies, four or five shots. Statistics always show that physically I give more on clay, and that gives me more advantages.”
“I remember before I always lost the first few games so easily – 0/3, 0/2, 0/4. Today I went on court and told myself I must stay in the game and hold my serve, so I don`t lose the match so quickly. It seems the tactic worked. When I focus very hard on the match, I feel I start to understand very clearly where to play.”
Q: How much confidence does a victory like this add? Roland Garros is in two weeks – how much confidence did this evening add to your game, to yourself?
“A: In general, I`m always confident in myself as a player – even if sometimes bad results happen. I know if I really focus and want it, I will achieve it. It`s just that before, when I saw her play at 14-15 years old… Perhaps in our first matches, I respected her too much. I didn`t see her as a regular tennis player.”
“I remember going to watch her at a `thousand` tournament in Beijing in 2017. I was there as a junior and watched her in the final. My dad said, `Oh, that`s Sabalenka – you need to learn from her forehand and backhand.`”
“I think it took time for me to stop respecting her so much and start viewing her as a regular player. That`s why I`m just happy that today I stayed calm, treated her like a standard opponent, and did what I had to do. I`m very happy with the victory.”
Q: Do you feel the clay in Rome suits you – like at the Olympics, for example?
“A: I think this year in Madrid, I was generally in too much of a hurry and couldn`t stay calm on court in difficult circumstances. After that tournament, I thought a lot about needing to become more stable on clay, calmer off the court, working better on myself not just on it but also off it. I think that helped me control myself better in moments of pressure than before.”
“If I`m too unstable in practice, I think nothing will work out for me in an important moment. But today it worked – although in the second set, she was very close to getting back into the match. I`m very happy I withstood the pressure and won. It was very difficult,”
Hailing from Manchester, Wesley specializes in football coverage while maintaining a keen interest in boxing and snooker. His direct, no-nonsense reporting style has made him a trusted voice among sports enthusiasts in northern England.
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