Asian Games: China’s Zheng Qinwen wins gold in women’s singles after beating compatriot Zhu Lin
- Title caps breakthrough year for 20-year-old in which she reached US Open quarter-finals beating world No 7 Ons Jabeur on the way
- Zheng downs compatriot Zhu Lin in straight sets, winning 6-2, 6-2 in Hangzhou
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US Open quarter-finalist Zheng Qinwen won a battle of the top seeds to clinch the Asian Games women’s tennis gold on Friday and burnish her fast-growing reputation.
The 20-year-old, China’s brightest young tennis star, battled through the Hangzhou heat to outlast teammate Zhu Lin and seal the title 6-2, 6-4 in 1 hour and 44 minutes.
It caps a breakthrough year for Zheng, who beat world No 7 Ons Jabeur en route to the last eight at Flushing Meadows this month before crashing to top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka.
In May, she reached a career-high 19 in the world and two months later won her first WTA title.
“The feeling was incredible. I’m really happy about that,” Zheng said. “That was not an easy match, today and also yesterday. All of them are good fighters.”
Now under the wing of Naomi Osaka’s former coach Wim Fissette, who has also worked with Victoria Azarenka and Simona Halep, Zheng’s blend of power and precision proved decisive in the final against Zhu.
The world No 23 broke twice in the opening set and dominated with her serve.
Zhu, ranked 10 places lower, fought hard to stay in the match, rallying from a break down in the second set to level at 3-3.
The final turned on a disputed call at deuce at 4-4, when Zhu thought the ball had bounced twice before Zheng hit it. The umpire ruled that it hadn’t, Zheng won the point and went onto break Zhu’s serve in that game
“I’m disappointed, obviously, because it’s a really important point, but I respect the decision of the umpire,” Zhu said. “Sometimes it happens on the tennis court. But it was a very important game, and then I lost my service game.
“As a professional tennis player after one point, I should just walk away and forget and move on, and then focus on the next point.”
Despite trailing, Zheng said she took the final point by point, adding she knew there was a third set if needed.
“So, it doesn’t matter if I lose the second set,” she said. “Tennis is a very long game and if you give your best, we will see the result, win or lose.”
Taiwan’s Hsu Yu-hsiou and Jason Jung won men’s doubles gold, beating India’s Saketh Myneni and Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-4, 6-4.
Chinese top seed Zhang Zhizhen, who made the third round at the French Open and US Open this year, will meet second seed Yosuke Watanuki of Japan in the men’s singles final on Saturday.
