Zheng Qinwen completed a stunning comeback at the US Open, saving a match point and erasing a 5-0 third-set deficit to defeat Madison Keys 1-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5 on Saturday in New York, according to The Associated Press. The Olympic gold medalist won the final seven games of the match to advance to the fourth round, where she will face 2022 US Open champion Iga Swiatek.
Zheng Overcomes Deficit Against Keys
Keys dominated the opening set and built a commanding 5-0 lead in the deciding third set before the momentum shifted entirely. According to The Associated Press, Keys held a match point while serving at 5-1 but failed to convert it, allowing Zheng to claw her way back into the match.
“I feel like I obviously got off to a really good lead, and then I just got really — I mean, got really scared, like I couldn’t swing,” Keys said, according to The Associated Press. “I don’t know. Tennis just feels really hard right now, so I feel like that kind of took over.”
Zheng, who won gold for China at the 2024 Olympics and reached the Australian Open final that same year, entered the tournament ranked No. 121 following elbow surgery, requiring a run through the qualifying rounds to reach the main draw. “I’m just telling myself keep holding every single point, never give up, stay there and somehow little by little it just happened,” Zheng said, according to The Associated Press.
Osaka Joins Fourth-Round Field in Three Sets
Hours after Zheng’s comeback, 13th-seeded Naomi Osaka secured her own spot in the fourth round by defeating Elise Mertens 6-3, 3-6, 7-5. The two-time champion from Japan fell behind 4-2 in the third set before mounting a rally of her own, dropping her head onto her racket in disbelief after the final point.
“Honestly, I can’t believe I won this match,” Osaka said, according to The Associated Press. “I’m literally shocked that I won this match.” Osaka admitted she struggled with negativity during the contest, apologizing for her on-court frustration. “There was a certain point, I don’t know, I felt like I put my entire heart on the court and then I just kept trying every single point,” Osaka said, according to The Associated Press.
Seeds Fall as Tournament Draw Shakes Out
The upsets extended across the draws on Saturday. Men’s ninth seed Taylor Fritz suffered a five-set defeat against No. 24 Francisco Cerundolo, losing 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 after holding a two-set lead. “I don’t know how I let that happen today,” Fritz said, according to The Associated Press.
In the women’s draw, No. 10 seed Amanda Anisimova fell to No. 24 Anastasia Potapova 6-2, 7-5. On the men’s side, No. 5 seed Flavio Cobolli lost in four sets to No. 28 Alexander Blockx, leaving the men’s tournament without six of its original top 10 seeds.
Meanwhile, 2023 US Open champion Coco Gauff advanced by defeating Cristina Bucsa 6-3, 6-4. Gauff will face 18-year-old American Iva Jovic, who secured a grueling three-set victory over Alex Eala 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 in a match lasting over three hours, according to The Associated Press.
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