Olympic Champion Zheng Qinwen Advances to Second Round at Australian Open with 7-6(3), 6-1 Victory Over Anca Todoni

Jan 12, 2025, 04:08 AM

Zheng Qinwen, the 22-year-old Olympic gold medalist from China and the fifth seed at the Australian Open, advanced to the second round of the tournament with a victory over Romanian qualifier Anca Todoni. The match, which took place on the first day of the 2025 Australian Open, resulted in a 7-6(3), 6-1 win for Zheng. The game was played under the closed roof of Rod Laver Arena due to heavy rain in Melbourne, which disrupted play on the outside courts. Zheng, who had not played a warm-up event and was coming off a prolonged break, showed signs of rustiness in the first set but managed to find her rhythm, particularly in the second set. She took a 5-3 lead in the first set but had to save three set points before winning the tiebreak. After Todoni took a medical timeout, Zheng dominated the second set. This victory marks a strong start for Zheng in her campaign at the Australian Open, where she aims to build on her runner-up finish in the previous year and her Olympic success.