Zheng Beats Svitolina to Reach Beijing Semi-final

Zheng Qinwen of China beat Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 6⁠–⁠3, 7⁠–⁠6(6) on Friday, 9 October, to reach the semi-finals of the China Open in Beijing (AFP via France 24; ESPN). The China Open is one of the women's tour's WTA 1000 events, the top level below the four Grand Slam tournaments.

Zheng, 24, won the Olympic gold medal in 2024 but is ranked 54th in the world, and she entered the tournament as a wildcard, meaning the organisers gave her a place in the draw (AFP via France 24). Svitolina is ranked seventh and was seeded sixth, meaning she was the sixth-highest-ranked player in the draw (AFP via France 24; Tennis World USA).

It is Zheng's first semi-final at this level since the Italian Open in Rome in May 2025. In July 2025 she had arthroscopic surgery on her elbow, a keyhole operation done through small cuts (Tennis World USA).

Zheng attacked from the start. She broke Svitolina's serve three times in the first set, meaning she won three games in which Svitolina was serving, and took it 6⁠–⁠3 (Tennis World USA). The home crowd cheered as she hit winners down the line, along the side of the court (AFP via France 24).

The second set was closer. Svitolina broke Zheng's serve in the seventh game to lead 4⁠–⁠3, but Zheng broke straight back in the eighth game (Tennis World USA). At 6⁠–⁠6 the set went to a tie-break, the deciding game played when a set reaches six games each, in which the first player to seven points, two clear, takes the set (AFP via France 24).

Zheng made a poor start to the tie-break. She served a double fault, missing both of her serves, on the first point and fell 0⁠–⁠2 behind (AFP via France 24; Tennis World USA). She then won the next four points (Tennis World USA). She won the tie-break 8⁠–⁠6 on her second match point, the point that would win her the match, finishing with a strong return and a forehand winner, and fell onto her back on the court to celebrate (AFP via France 24; Tennis World USA).

The numbers show how Zheng won. She hit 48 winners, shots her opponent could not reach, in one hour and 47 minutes. Svitolina made only 13 unforced errors, mistakes not caused by her opponent's shot, but could not keep up with Zheng's attack (AFP via France 24).

"Truthfully, because I really wanted to grab this win, I was really nervous," Zheng told the crowd afterwards. "I played really aggressive in important moments," she said, adding that Svitolina "raised her level" in the second set (AFP via France 24).

This was Zheng's first win in straight sets at this year's tournament, meaning she won without dropping a set (AFP via France 24). AFP reported she had needed more than 10 hours on court to reach the quarter-finals (AFP via France 24). She beat Shi Han of China 7⁠–⁠6, 4⁠–⁠6, 6⁠–⁠2 in the first round, and then Anna Kalinskaya, who retired, meaning she stopped playing before the end, while trailing 0⁠–⁠3 in the third set (ESPN). She then beat Marie Bouzková of the Czech Republic 7⁠–⁠6, 4⁠–⁠6, 7⁠–⁠5 and Alina Charaeva 6⁠–⁠1, 2⁠–⁠6, 6⁠–⁠4 (ESPN).

On Saturday, 10 October, Zheng plays Elise Mertens of Belgium, the No. 13 seed, who beat Iga Świątek of Poland, the No. 8 seed, 7⁠–⁠6(0), 6⁠–⁠3 in Friday's other quarter-final, winning the first-set tie-break 7⁠–⁠0 (ESPN; Tennis.com). Świątek won the China Open in 2023 (AFP via France 24). Mertens had also beaten Coco Gauff of the United States earlier in the week (WTA). ESPN lists Zheng's semi-final for 7 p.m. in Beijing, which is 7 a.m. ET (ESPN).

The other semi-final is Nikola Bartůňková of the Czech Republic against Mirra Andreeva of Russia, listed for 3 p.m. in Beijing, which is 3 a.m. ET (ESPN). Bartůňková knocked out Aryna Sabalenka earlier in the week (ESPN).

What a reader can take from Friday in Beijing is that Zheng, playing at home and still coming back from surgery, beat a top-ten player without dropping a set and is two wins from the title.