Zheng and Wang shine bright: Chinese stars make waves at US Open

Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen kept up the momentum from her victory in Paris with a cathartic win over Germany's Jule Niemeier at the US Open on Friday. At the same time, another Chinese woman, Wang Yafan, put out three-time Flushing Meadow finalist Victoria Azarenka.

Zheng breezed to a 6-2, 6-1 third-round win over Jule Niemeier of Germany in 1 hour and 21 minutes, exacting a bit of revenge on Niemeier, who eliminated her in this tournament in 2022.

"I remember that match so clearly," Zheng said. "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, crying 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. I'm glad I'm the winner today, so I don't have to cry!"

Zheng's next take on Donna Vekic of Croatia is on Sunday, in a repeat of the Paris Games final.

Unseeded Wang recorded a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 win over twentieth-seeded Azarenka to set up a fourth-round tie against Paula Badosa, the 26th seed from Spain.

Elsewhere, Coco Gauff continued in her pursuit of recording back-to-back US Open titles by rallying to a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over Elina Svitolina.

The third-seeded Gauff overcame a mistake-filled first set by saving five of seven break points against the 27th-seeded Svitolina of Ukraine. The match's highlight came in the third set when Gauff outlasted Svitolina during a fierce 37-stroke exchange that ended when the latter's backhand sailed wide.

"She's a fighter," the 20-year-old Gauff said of Svitolina, a three-time major semifinalist. "I knew I had to play my best."

Gauff hopes to give the fans a thrill on Sunday when she vies for a spot in the quarterfinals against 13th-seeded Emma Navarro, who posted a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win over 19th-seeded Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine.

(Source: Reuters/RTHK)

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