New York (AP)— In a rematch of their Olympic final, Zheng Qinwen defeated Donna Vekic 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-2 early Monday morning to go to the U.S. Open quarterfinals.
The No. 7-seeded Zheng won the match after 2 hours, 50 minutes, a much tougher test than Vekic offered last month in Paris.
China's first tennis singles gold went to Zheng, who won 6-2, 6-3. She wasn't as dominant on the U.S. Open's hard courts, where Vekic is more comfortable than Roland Garros' clay.
She fell to Aryna Sabalenka in her first Grand Slam final at the Australian Open, but Zheng remains tough to beat on hard courts.
“I feel really proud of myself because it's not easy changing surfaces from clay to hard, especially since I went back to China and don't have the same practice as the other players,” Zheng said. "So basically, I'm trying to hold myself, find a way to win even though I'm not feeling great.
On Tuesday, she will face Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed who defeated Zheng in the Flushing Meadows quarterfinals last year to reach the final.
Zheng claimed she'll be ready if she sleeps eight or nine hours after returning to the hotel. “I really like to play against her and I’m looking forward to it,” Zheng remarked. “I know she's one of the best hard court players and I've been waiting for this.
Vekic reached the Wimbledon semifinals, her highest Grand Slam finish. However, the No. 24 seed understood she wasted a chance to advance in Flushing Meadows.