Qinwen Zheng’s marvellous comeback run in Qatar has come to an end following her loss to Elena Rybakina on Tuesday.
After taking the first set 6-4, Zheng was quickly pegged back by the Australian Open champion, who won the second set 6-2.
In the decider, Zheng fought from 2-5 to level the match, before losing the next two games.
Despite the loss, Zheng can be proud of the performances she put in over the last week. The Olympic champion, despite being absent from competitive play for the best part of five months, almost defeated the most in-form player on the planet.
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Following her loss to Rybakina on Wednesday, Zheng revealed where she had gone wrong against the two-time Grand Slam champion.
Qinwen Zheng reflects on her ‘up-and-down focus’ against Elena Rybakina
“I think the problem is during a match I have some up-and-down focus and suddenly I lose concentration for a long time,” Zheng told reporters in Doha.
“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.”
Against Rybakina, Zheng served nine aces and won 70 per cent of her first-serve points. She also won 55 per cent of her second serve points and converted two of her five break-point opportunities.
However, Zheng will want to improve her double fault numbers after serving six against Rybakina.
Comparatively, Rybakina served six aces and hit one double fault, while also winning 70 per cent of first-serve attempts and converting four of 10 break-point chances.
Rybakina faces Victoria Mboko in the quarter-finals. Mboko, the 2025 Canadian Open champion, came through a marathon round of 16 match against Mirra Andreeva.
- Rybakina’s path to Qatar Open glory: Quarter-final – Victoria Mboko
- Semi-final: Jelena Ostapenko or Elisabetta Cocciaretto
- Final: Iga Swiatek / Maria Sakkari / Karolina Muchova / Anna Kalinskaya
Will Qinwen Zheng win a Grand Slam this year?
The 23-year-old has the game to win a Grand Slam. Whether she can deliver on that goal is another question.
Zheng has reached the final of one Grand Slam event – the 2024 Australian Open – and has the experience of winning Olympic gold.
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These experiences are valuable, and with Zheng having not missed a beat on her return to competitive play, she will undoubtedly be a major threat at Grand Slam events this year.
Zheng’s first opportunity to win a major will occur at the French Open. Last year, Zheng defeated Victoria Mboko and Liudmila Samsonova on her way to the quarter-finals, before losing to Aryna Sabalenka.
