Zheng Qinwen stunned women’s world number one Iga Swiatek 6-2, 7-5 in the singles semi-final to make the gold medal match at the Paris Olympics.
It was the 21-year-old’s first win over the four-time French Open champion at the seventh attempt and ended Swiatek’s 25-match winning run on the clay courts of Paris.
“I’m so happy that I could make this history for China tennis because I always wanted to be one of the athletes who got a medal for China and now I’m one of them,” said seventh-ranked Zheng who is guaranteed at least a silver medal by reaching the final.
“But I know the fight is not over. It’s not the end. The tournament is very long. So I’m really happy but at the same time I’m waiting for more.
“Of course, I have made history already but I don’t want to stop here.”
By making the final, Zheng is the first Chinese man or woman to reach an Olympic singles gold medal match, bettering the run of iconic trailblazer Li Na who finished fourth in the women’s event at Beijing in 2008.
China has previously won medals in women’s doubles in Paris Olympics.
In 2004, at Athens, Li Ting and Sun Tiantian captured gold while four years later in Beijing, Yan Zi and Zheng Jie claimed bronze.
Zheng Qinwen said she always believed she could defeat Iga Swiatek despite her poor record against the Pole and having had to play gruelling back-to-back three-hour matches in Paris to make the semi-finals.
“I finally showed I could beat the world number one on her best surface,” added Zheng.
“I always knew I can do it, but you have to show it. I’m so proud of myself and so proud for my country.”
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Zheng will face either Croatia’s Donna Vekic or Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia in the gold medal match.
Swiatek, meanwhile, was left to rue 36 unforced errors in a tie where she also dropped serve six times. She will have to content herself now by playing for the Paris Olympics bronze.
“Sorry guys, next time,” she told reporters, refusing to discuss her shock defeat.
Swiatek was hit off the court by the powerful 21-year-old Australian Open finalist who broke the Pole three times in the opening set.
Iga Swiatek appeared restored by a 10-minute break and quickly stretched out to 4-0 lead in the second set before Zheng Qinwen battled back, retrieving both breaks for 4-4.
The Chinese star broke again for a 6-5 lead against the error-plagued Swiatek and claimed victory in the next game.
“Before, when I was not at this stage, I let matches go. I say, okay, let’s fight for the third set. But today, no, I don’t use this mentality. I say, I am just going to fight every single point,” explained Zheng.
She said that she is a different player now to the one who lost to Aryna Sabalenka in January’s Australian Open final where she managed just five games in a straight-sets loss.
“In Australia, my energy was really low. But if you ask me to fight for my country for another three hours today, I could do it.”
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