Beijing, Sep 27 (IANS) China’s tennis sensation Zheng Qinwen cruised past Colombia’s Emiliana Arango 6-3, 6-2 in the women’s singles second round of the 2025 China Open on Saturday. Zheng advanced after a first-round bye, marking her first official match since undergoing surgery on her right elbow in July.
Olympic champion Zheng, 22, withdrew from tournaments including the US Open and the Billie Jean King Cup finals following her surgery, before making her comeback at the China Open.
The 7th seed Zheng opened her account with an ace and took the first set 6-3. The home favourite then dominated the second set, leaving Arango with few chances, and sealed the victory 6-2, reports Xinhua.
“I have recovered almost 80 percent, but the 20 percent left would be the most difficult part,” Zheng said. “I am looking forward to having a better performance in my next match and making progress step by step,” said Zheng on Saturday.
In the third round, Zheng will face Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic.
Meanwhile, world No.2 Iga Swiatek of Poland kicked off her campaign in style on Saturday, defeating home player Yuan Yue 6-0, 6-3 in the women’s singles second round to extend her unbeaten record at the National Tennis Centre.
Swiatek, 24, was untouchable in the first set, sweeping all six games with three breaks to underline her baseline dominance. It marked a continuation of her perfect record in Beijing, having won the tournament on her debut in 2023.
Yuan, a 25-year-old ranked No. 58, put up stronger resistance in the second set. The Chinese player broke in the opening game to lead 1-0, but the top seed immediately struck back, reeling off three straight games for a 3-1 cushion.
The local favourite dug deep to hold serve in the sixth and eighth games, saving multiple break points and thrilling the crowd with a clever drop shot. But Swiatek never relinquished control, sealing the set 6-3 to close out the match with her big serves.
Swiatek has enjoyed a solid 2025 season, highlighted by her Wimbledon title this summer, where she defeated Amanda Anisimova with two 6-0 sets, and her recent triumph at the Korea Open.
The six-time Grand Slam champion is making only her second appearance at the China Open, but remains undefeated at the event as she bids for another title in the Chinese capital. Next for Swiatek is Colombia’s Camila Osorio, who overcame 28th seed Anna Kalinskaya 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 to reach the round of 32.
Earlier on the same court, fourth seed Mirra Andreeva eased past China’s Zhu Lin 6-2, 6-2.
–IANS
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