Key Takeaways
- Qinwen Zheng rallied from 5-0 down in the deciding set to overcome Madison Keys 1-6 7-6(3) 7-5 in the US Open third round.
- The Chinese star explained her mindset during the comeback, stating: “First of all, the hard work finally pays off,” and declaring that “miracle exist.”
- After coming through the qualifying rounds following months of doubt, Zheng credited her grueling Florida training block with helping her rediscover her confidence and energy.
Battling back from the brink against Madison Keys
Facing elimination in the third round in New York, Qinwen Zheng pulled off an astonishing escape to defeat Madison Keys 1-6 7-6(3) 7-5. After dropping the opening set and finding herself trailing heavily in the decider, the Chinese star engineered a dramatic turnaround to reach the fourth round.
Speaking about staring down defeat when Keys stood within reach of a whitewash in the final set, Zheng admitted she focused strictly on pride to stay in the contest. “So at beginning when she was leading 5-0 and then my service game, I just talk to myself like this. Please at least don’t let her beat you 6. That was that’s going to be a really shame if she do that,” she revealed.
Once she put herself on the board, her perspective shifted completely. “And then at the end when I won the first game in the third set, I just said, ‘Okay, let’s go for next game. Keep going point by point,'” Zheng explained. “And somehow things start to change. I saw there’s more mistake on her and I start to play more bravely and I think that’s the key.”
Overcoming pressure to seal victory
Even as she reeled off consecutive games, the tension mounted with every exchange. Zheng acknowledged that the closing stages demanded her absolute best tennis from baseline to baseline against the powerful American.
“I already start to feel pressure at 25 because I start to see no the match is not over. Stay there and keep fighting point by point,” Zheng said. “But when I actually got to 55, I see okay, here’s my chance. But for me the most important one is at 55 because I already come back five game in a row and then to win those next two game I think that’s the most difficult one because in that moment I felt there’s more rally both of us we are hitting incredible good.”
Assessing the magnitude of her comeback, Zheng distilled the triumph into simple truths about perseverance. “First of all, the hard work finally pays off,” she said, adding that her second lesson was “never give up because things can happen.” To cap it off, she concluded: “Miracle exist.”
Finding the spark through the qualifying rounds
The triumph in New York follows a challenging period of self-doubt and arduous physical preparation. Zheng recalled pushing through severe training sessions in Florida to rediscover her competitive edge after a long drought.
“I suffer a lot this trip for four months without winning matches and I have lot of doubts of myself and after I talked to my team we made a good preparation in Florida the AMG academy those condition was really really hot,” she noted. “So when you play 20 minute tennis you sweat from top to down. I mean I don’t even want to think anymore how I made a tough practice there. And at the end when I come here the temperature was really nice. Everything seems like more easy with the conditions.”
Having entered the main draw via qualifying, Zheng had to overcome an adjustment period after spending years among the elite. “At the beginning takes a while to prepare mentally I have to really through qual because last time I play quali in the grand slam is when I was 19 years old. So how come after five years I’m at the same stage again quali and then okay that’s how it is,” she said.
Heeding the counsel of her coach, she treated every qualifying opponent with great caution. “My coach told me you need to stay humble fights every single match because the quali opponent they are not easy they are someone really really tough,” Zheng shared. “Once I keep winning winning I felt like the dynamic of the match is coming back. I found myself again on court. I found the fire. I found the energy on court.”
Now advancing into the round of 16, Zheng remains focused on her upward trajectory: “I’m still on the process. I’m still on the way, but it is true. My level gets better every single match, but there’s still a lot I’m trying to reach out. I’m trying to improve.”
