Olympic champion Zheng joins top seed Sabalenka in Beijing third round

Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen (21) described the atmosphere as "insane" as she captivated a full house at the China Open on Saturday, advancing to the third round alongside top seed Aryna Sabalenka (26) in Beijing.

Competing at home for the first time since her gold medal victory in Paris, Zheng decisively defeated 71st-ranked Russian Kamilla Rakhimova with a score of 6-1, 6-1 in just 75 minutes.

In contrast, Sabalenka faced challenges in the first set before overcoming the formidable Thai qualifier Mananchaya Sawangkaew with a score of 6-4, 6-1, marking her first match since her triumph at the US Open.

Both players are on track to potentially meet in the semi-finals, reminiscent of the Australian Open final, where Sabalenka dominated Zheng with a score of 6-3, 6-2, and again convincingly in the US Open quarter-finals.

However, with the crowd fervently supporting her, Zheng is expected to present a tougher challenge in the Chinese capital.

The fifth seed will face Nadia Podoroska from Argentina.

"The atmosphere was insane. I never anticipated such a full center court," Zheng remarked, noting that her victory celebration was briefly interrupted by rain.

"While on the court today, I noticed there were no empty seats. I was somewhat taken aback.

"I haven't experienced anything like this in quite some time."

World number two Sabalenka found the first set challenging against an opponent ranked 187th, who was playing in the most significant match of her young career.

Sabalenka's expression remained subdued at the conclusion, despite securing a straight-sets victory.

"I'm extremely pleased to have progressed in this match," the 26-year-old stated.

"In the first set, I struggled a bit with the rhythm, the court's speed, and the heaviness of the balls.

"In the second set, it felt like everything started to click much better."

The 22-year-old Mananchaya may have lacked experience at this level, yet the determined Thai athlete refused to concede defeat in seemingly hopeless situations.

Mananchaya faced difficulties with her serve, allowing three-time major champion Sabalenka to secure a break and establish a 4-2 lead in the first set.

Undeterred by Sabalenka's superior power, the Thai player quickly broke back, eliciting enthusiastic cheers from the crowd in Beijing.

An inconsistent Sabalenka struggled to find her rhythm but managed to create a set point on Mananchaya's serve, only to miss a straightforward volley.

However, she capitalized on her second chance and broke serve to take a 3-1 lead in the second set as she finally began to find her form.

Sabalenka will next compete against Ashlyn Krueger of the United States, who is currently ranked 68th.

Also advancing to the third round of the WTA 1000 event is third seed Jasmine Paolini, who overcame Denmark's Clara Tauson in a challenging match, winning 1-6, 7-5, 6-4.

World number one and defending champion Iga Swiatek withdrew from the tournament due to "personal matters."

SportsLigue