Qinwen Zheng’s impressive run in Qatar came to an end on Tuesday after a hard-fought battle with Elena Rybakina.
After dropping the first set 6-4, Rybakina responded well, taking the second set 6-2 to force a decider.
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Zheng then found herself down 2-5 in the final set but managed to rally back to level at 5-5 before losing the last two games.
The Chinese star played some good tennis over the past week, even with five months away from competitive play before this event. She pushed one of the most in-form players in the world and did not look far off her best.
After her loss to Rybakina, Zheng spoke about what went wrong against the two-time Grand Slam winner.
Qinwen Zheng admits concentration lapses during Rybakina match
Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images
In Doha, Zheng said to reporters: “I think the problem is during a match I have some up-and-down focus, and suddenly I lose concentration for a long time.
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“I guess that’s because for a long time I didn’t compete.
“I hope (by) playing more matches this will get better. (I’m) always looking for things to improve, and that’s what I see from this week.”
Zheng fired nine aces against Rybakina and won 70 per cent of points behind her first serve. She also claimed 55 per cent of second-serve points and converted two of five break chances.
Despite those strong numbers, she finished with six double faults, an area she will be keen to tidy up moving forward.
In comparison, Rybakina hit six aces to just one double fault, matched Zheng’s 70 per cent on first serves, but converted four out of ten break-point opportunities.
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The Kazakh now moves on to face Victoria Mboko in the quarter-finals. The 2025 Canadian Open champion got past Mirra Andreeva in a long battle during the round of 16.
Will Qinwen Zheng take home a Grand Slam title in 2026?
The 23-year-old has the talent to win a Grand Slam, but whether she can put it all together remains to be seen.
Zheng already has a Grand Slam final under her belt from the 2024 Australian Open and an Olympic gold medal on her CV.
That experience should serve her well, and given how sharp she has looked since returning to action, she will be a real factor at the majors this year.
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Zheng’s first shot at a major title will come at Roland-Garros. Last year, she reached the quarter-finals after wins over Victoria Mboko and Liudmila Samsonova before falling to Aryna Sabalenka.
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