No.7 seed Zheng Qinwen powered into the second week of the US Open for the second straight year, advancing 6-2, 6-1 in 1 hour and 21 minutes past Jule Niemeier in the third round. She was joined by No.26 seed Paula Badosa, who saved one match point trailing 5-4 in the third set before escaping qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse 4-6, 6-1, 7-6[8].
US Open: Scores | Draw | Order of play
Former Wimbledon quarterfinalist Niemeier has been a tricky opponent for Zheng in the past, winning two of their past pro encounters, including a 6-4, 7-6(5) victory in the same round of the US Open in 2022. In her on-court interview, Zheng revealed how much that loss had affected her -- and how determined she was to take revenge.
"I remember that match so clear," said the 21-year-old. "I lost that match at midnight -- it was a tough match and really painful. I remember I sat one hour in [the US Open site] at, I don't know, 3 o'clock, there crying by myself alone.
"So today when I play against her, since the beginning I'm really focused, because I don't want that feeling to happen again to me. I'm glad I'm the winner today so I don't have to cry!"
Zheng's focus was evident as she navigated a tight opening few games -- and then, once she got her nose in front, went from strength to strength to roll through 11 of the last 12 games of the match. The Olympic gold medallist slammed 17 winners, including eight aces, saved the only break point she faced and converted all four break points she brought up on the Niemeier serve.
Niemeier went toe-to-toe with Zheng on the serve and forehand in the early stages, and wowed the crowd with a spinning backhand volley early in the second set. But she also racked up 16 unforced errors, outweighing her 12 winners.
Australian Open finalist Zheng moves into the second week of a major for the second time in 2024, and the fourth time overall. In the fourth round, she will face No.24 seed Donna Vekic in a rematch of the Olympic Games final in Paris a month ago, which Zheng won 6-2, 6-3. The Croat defeated Peyton Stearns 7-5, 6-4 to reach the second week of a major for the seventh time overall, for the second time in 2024 (following her run to the Wimbledon semifinals) and for the second time at the US Open (following her 2019 quarterfinal showing).
Zheng on her improvements since last year's US Open: "I think I read the ball better on court and compared to one year ago, I see more what I have to do in different situations. One year ago, I remember the third round against [Lucia Bronzetti]. I was 1-4 down in that moment, and I have to fight all the way through that because in that match I play really bad. My serve wasn't there. I had a lot of easy mistakes.
"But today the third round I'm really happy about my performance because I feel I'm more powerful, but I know better how to control the power, when to use the power and when to hold down a bit trying to, you know, play with the opponent. I think that's important for my game."
Badosa saves match point to reach first US Open second week
Another of this summer's form players passed the test of an opponent who had given her trouble in the past as Badosa claimed a thrilling victory on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The New York-born Spaniard was the Washington champion a month ago, and a Cincinnati semifinalist two weeks ago. Now, she's completed her set of second-week appearances at each Grand Slam with her seventh fourth-round run overall. Badosa's best major showing to date was at Roland Garros 2021, where she reached the quarterfinals; before this week, she had never gone past the second round at Flushing Meadows.
Photos: Paula Badosa and all of 2024's winners from match point down
Badosa had to do it the hard way, surviving a barrage of power from a redlining Ruse who always seemed to have a comeback up her sleeve. The Romanian had defeated Badosa in their only previous meeting 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in the first round of Dubai 2022, and was fresh off an upset of No.8 seed and Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova in the previous round.
Paula Badosa with back-to-back Grand Slam second weeks!
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2024
She's back 😤 pic.twitter.com/IXDM5JzzxI
Ruse edged a first set in which every game but one featured at least one break point. In the third, she came from an early break down to lead 5-4, broke back to force a tiebreak after Badosa served at 6-5, and once there was inches from pegging Badosa back from 4-0 down.
The qualifier's raw power was breathtaking in those stretches, and she landed 29 winners overall. But the flipside was her inconsistency -- particularly in the face of Badosa's dogged defense. The former No.2 repeatedly soaked up strike after strike from Ruse, exposing the World No.122's tendency to overpress. Leading 5-4 in the decider, Ruse oscillated between winners and unforced errors, and missed a return when match point up. Trailing 8-7 in the tiebreak, she sent a forehand sitter just wide, her 41st unforced error of the day, to hand Badosa match point -- which Badosa duly converted with another unreturned serve.
Badosa will next face No.80-ranked Wang Yafan, who upset No.20 seed Victoria Azarenka for her fifth career Top 20 win. The 30-year-old reached the third round of a major for the first time at the Australian Open in January, and this result means she will make her debut in the second week of a Slam.
Wang defeated Badosa 6-1, 6-3 in their only previous meeting in the 2019 Seoul quarterfinals.
Head to Head
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In Badosa's words: "The tiebreaker, really? I think I almost had a heart attack there. But yeah, it was really tough match. She was playing very high level. I had to keep up there, so I'm really happy I accepted that moment. I fought through it. I think the tiebreak was -- you never know in a tiebreak, but I think I handled the emotions and the pressure pretty well, and I'm happy I won the match.
"In that moment I looked up and saw the crowd cheering so much for me and pumping me up. I think there I was having that connection with them, and it gave me so much strength in that moment.
"So I just forgot everything, and I was just like, 'I'm going to go for my shots. I'm going to be aggressive.' Because maybe I was struggling a little bit in that moment that I was feeling so much pressure that I needed to win this match, and maybe I was the one I had more expectations in this match compared to her. I forgot a little bit of that, and I just focus on each point and playing tennis and just going for it no matter who was on the other side of the net.
"It worked really well, and it gave me the 6-5 serve. But in that moment I think credit to her because she played really, really well, and she was returning very well."
