Daijiworld Media Network- Rome

Rome, May 15: Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen stunned World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to storm into the semifinals of the Italian Open on Wednesday, ending the Belarusian’s nine-match clay-court winning streak with a commanding 6-4, 6-3 victory.

The win marks a breakthrough moment for the Chinese star, who had previously lost all six encounters against Sabalenka and had twice stumbled in the quarterfinals at Rome. However, Zheng turned the tide in just 1 hour and 37 minutes, saving all five break points she faced while breaking Sabalenka’s serve thrice with clinical precision.

“This is the first time we play on clay. I guess I’m more comfortable on this surface because I’ve gained great experience here,” Zheng said after her triumph. “I’ve always been close in previous matches, but it never went my way—until now. I was more patient than her today, and I’m really proud of my performance.”

Zheng, who has an impressive 17-3-win record in her last 20 clay-court matches and is undefeated in three career clay-court finals, credited her composure and consistency as key to the victory. Though she hit 27 unforced errors to 15 winners, her resilience in crucial moments made all the difference.

With this win, Zheng becomes only the second Chinese woman to reach the semifinals in Rome, following in the footsteps of Li Na, who finished runner-up in 2012.

The 21-year-old now sets her sights on No. 4 seed Coco Gauff in the semifinals. Gauff earned her spot with a straight-sets win over Russian teen Mirra Andreeva. However, history favours the American, who holds a 2-0 head-to-head advantage over Zheng—including a win in last year’s Rome quarterfinal and a commanding victory in the WTA Finals championship match in Riyadh.

With her newfound form and growing confidence on clay, Zheng is aiming for her second career WTA 1000 final. Tennis fans around the globe will be watching closely as two of the sport’s brightest young stars clash in what promises to be a thrilling semifinal showdown.