Olympic champ Zheng wins Australian Open first-round opener

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Zheng Qinwen’s tennis resume is sort of totally different from what it was when she confirmed up on the Australian Open a full yr in the past. Irrespective of every thing she completed in 2024 — a runner-up end at Melbourne Park; an Olympic gold medal for China — she felt jitters earlier than getting into Rod Laver Area on Sunday.

After overcoming some hiccups late within the opening set of her first-round match on a stormy Day 1 on the season’s first main tennis event, Zheng got here by with a 7-6 (3), 6-1 victory towards Anca Todoni, a 20-year-old qualifier from Romania who has received one Grand Slam match in her profession.

“Really, I really feel actually nervous,” mentioned Zheng, who’s seeded No. 5. “I began to really feel nervous already since yesterday, ’trigger I felt particular emotion for the Australian Open. … I actually prefer it right here.”

As effectively she ought to.

It was 12 months in the past on Melbourne’s onerous courts that Zheng made all of it the way in which to the ultimate earlier than dropping to Aryna Sabalenka. The 2-time champion started her bid for a 3rd consecutive title with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over 2017 U.S. Open title winner Sloane Stephens. Alexander Zverev, the boys’s No. 2 seed, defeated Lucas Pouille 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 within the final match at Rod Laver Area.

Two of the primary three males’s contests to conclude each went 5 units. Kei Nishikori, the 2014 U.S. Open runner-up, saved a pair of match factors within the third set and got here all the way in which again to beat qualifier Thiago Monteiro 4-6, 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-2, 6-3, whereas No. 6 Casper Ruud, a three-time finalist at majors, defeated Jaume Munar 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1.

Nishikori, competing in Melbourne for the primary time in 4 years after a collection of hip, ankle and knee accidents, raised his arms and threw his head again, inflicting his black hat to fall off, after enhancing to 29-8 in five-setters, together with 8-1 on the Australian Open.

Earlier than her run in Australia final January, Zheng had solely performed in eight main tournaments, making one quarterfinal. Her big-hitting breakthrough opened a season wherein she wound up with a gold draped round her neck on the Paris Video games in August.

The 22-year-old Zheng’s power-based sport is greatest suited to onerous courts, and enjoying indoors does not harm, both, so she ultimately was fairly comfy towards Todoni beneath a closed retractable roof, whereas thunder and lightning and a severe downpour suspended motion on the courts that may’t be coated.

Nonetheless, Zheng frittered away set factors whereas serving for the opener at 5-4, then was compelled to save lots of set factors for Todoni later. Afterward, Zheng mentioned that being nervous often makes her focus higher, however this time, it did not make “me play my greatest tennis on the market.”

Perhaps that is as a result of it was her first match of the season. Nonetheless, she was adequate on at the present time.

The second set was extra one-sided, and Todoni took a medical timeout for therapy on her decrease again after three video games.

Zheng was amongst solely a handful of gamers in a position to full matches within the early going at what’s now a 15-day event after a Sunday begin was instituted final yr. That additional time, which spreads out the primary spherical throughout three days, could possibly be notably useful this week, when Monday’s packed program already included matches for Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek.

No. 29 Linda Noskova was the primary seeded participant to exit the bracket, only a yr after she shocked Iga Swiatek in Melbourne. Noskova misplaced 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 to Clara Tauson, whereas seeds who received Sunday included No. 11 Paula Badosa; No. 14 Mirra Andreeva, No. 18 Donna Vekic; and No. 30 Leylah Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open runner-up.

“To have the ability to play a match and to complete a match with a roof, it’s far more simple than … to cease with the rain,” mentioned the Twentieth-seeded man, Arthur Fils, who eradicated Otto Virtanen of Finland 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-4. “So, yeah, it’s a pleasant therapy.”

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis