Qinwen Zheng reached the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Open after defeating Moyuka Uchijima.
After a tight first set in which she reached double figures on unforced errors, the 22-year-old found her stride in the second set and won the last nine games of the match.
Zeng’s 7-5, 6-0 win means she qualifies for a quarter-final showdown in the Japanese capital with Laila Fernandez.
This will happen just two weeks after they faced each other in the round of 16 at the Wuhan Open, and it was a feisty match.
Photo by Wang He/Getty Images What did Chenwen Cheng say about facing Leila Fernandez at the Japan Open?
Qinwen Zheng dropped just four points behind her first serve during her first ever meeting against Moyuka Uchijima.
She also won 50% of her second serve points as the Olympic champion began her Japan Open campaign with a straight sets victory.
She is now ready to face Fernandes again, after a heated encounter at the Wuhan Open. “I will try to do my best and we will see,” Cheng said of her next opponent.
“Next round I will play against a great opponent. I just played against her in Wuhan and it was a tough match, so I have to fight.
“I think she’s a really good player, she has a different playing style compared to others. She takes the ball very early, so you don’t have a lot of time between shots,” she added.
“You always have to be alert, and it’s not easy to play against her. But next time I will be at my best, just like I did last time.
Photo by Wang He/Getty Images
During the first set of the Wuhan match, Zheng, who was playing at the end of the court where Fernandes’ team was sitting, turned to the Canadian’s father and asked if he could keep his voice down, after he claimed he was speaking ahead of time. To return serve.
This caught Fernandez’s attention and she told Cheng to “be respectful.” Zheng lost the first set but completed the comeback to win 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 and beat Fernandez for the first time.
How many times has Qinwen Zheng played Laila Fernandez?
Zheng has played Fernandez on three occasions, earning her first win over the Canadian in Wuhan.
But the 2021 US Open runner-up secured her first win over Cheng at the 2022 Monterrey Open.
Fernandez won 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(3) and went on to win the first championship of her career.
Their second meeting came at the Doha Open in February, with Fernandez scoring a 7-5, 6-3 win, which was surprising given that Cheng was seeded fifth at that tournament.
The world’s seventh ranked player will have a golden opportunity to settle the rivalry head-to-head when they meet in the Japan Open on Friday.
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