After the match, Zheng expressed her disappointment in her performance, admitting, “I feel today I play so bad tennis.” Despite this, she was able to hand Andreeva her first 6-0 set loss on the main tour.
Reflecting on her gameplay, Zheng remarked, “I was at 20% or 30% of my level. If I could have played better, the match would have been over faster.”
Despite her low form, Zheng was pleased with her victory and noted, “I wonder why I played at this level. But the whole match, it was under my control. Whether I can win this match really depends on how I play it. I’m really happy that I could win this match with such low form.”
Although trailing 4-0, the 22-year-old managed to win five games in a row. However, her low first-serve percentage of 46% in the opening set proved to be detrimental, especially with only a 19% success rate on second serves.
Addressing her mindset during the match, Zheng shared, “At the beginning of the match, I was trying to be calm, nicer to my opponent because she’s younger.” She emphasized the shift in her mentality, stating, “But given my level today, I told myself that I wasn’t going to win with my tennis, but with my mentality.”
If my first serve percentage had been higher, the score would have been different
Zheng Qinwen
Despite her struggles with her first serve, Zheng continued to fight through the next two sets with percentages of 56% and 45% respectively.
Looking ahead to her upcoming match, Zheng acknowledged the importance of winning even when not performing at her best, stating, “But winning a match when you are not perfect is very important.”
While her opponent also faced challenges with first serves, Zheng remains focused on her own improvement and analysis of matches, indicating a strong determination to succeed in her upcoming semi-final match against Karolína Muchová.
