Number 12 seed Zheng Qinwen cruised into her second consecutive Grand Slam quarter final and her first at the Australian Open after beating Oceane Dodin 6-0 6-3 in just 59 minutes.
Zheng earned her first break with a backhand winner down the line in the second game. The Chinese player broke twice more in the fourth and sixth games to take a bagel win in the first set.
Zheng broke serve in the fourth game of the second set to take a 3-1 lead. Dodin broke straight back in the fifth game for 2-3, but Zheng broke for the second time in the sixth game. The world number 15 player served out the win on her second match point.
Zheng reached the quarter final of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in her career at the 2023 US Open. She has become the fourth Chinese player to advance to the Australian Open quarter finals following 2014 champion Li Na, 2010 semifinalist Zheng Jie and 2016 quarter finalist Zhang Shuai.
The 21-year-old Chinese player set up a quarter final match against Anna Kalinskaya, who beat Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 6-4 6-2. Kalinskaya beat Zheng 6-3 2-6 6-2 in Guadalajara 2022 in their only previous head-to-head match.
A new Grand Slam finalist is guaranteed from the top half of the draw following Dayana Yastremska’s win over Victoria Azarenka.
Zheng hit 19 winners to Dodin’s 5 and made 16 unforced errors to Dodin’s 19. The Frenchwoman won just 50% of her first serve points and 33% on her second serve.
“I am happy to reach the quarter finals. Compared to the last match, this was much shorter. I am really happy to be here. Obviously it’s the second time in a Grand Slam quarter final. I will have more experience. I will just try to tell myself: ‘focus on myself, don’t think too much. Li Na told me last time, gave me advice: ‘Just play, don’t think too much”, said Zheng Quinwen.
Zheng recently met her compatriot Li Na, who is in Melbourne to take part in the Australian Open legends’ tournaments.
“She just went to me to say congratulations. I was feeling super happy to meet her and have the chance to talk with her because I never talked with her in person. That was feeling special to me”, said Zheng.
