Sun, 16, upsets Bucsa in Beijing; Zheng advances after Kalinskaya retires
Representing two generations of Chinese tennis, wild cards Sun Xinran and Zheng Qinwen thrilled the China Open fans on Saturday as they booked their spots in the third round of their home tournament.
Junior World No. 1 Sun stunned No. 27 seed Cristina Bucsa 6-4, 7-5 in 1 hour and 31 minutes to become the first 2010-born player to win a completed match at WTA 1000 level or above. The 16-year-old, fresh off the girls' title at the US Open, is making her WTA main-draw debut this week. She'll next face another player who knows a thing or two about making a mark at a young age -- No. 3 seed Coco Gauff, the 2024 Beijing champion.
Olympic gold medallist Zheng, who put together a memorable run to the US Open quarterfinals as a qualifier, continued her resurgence by advancing when No. 15 seed Anna Kalinskaya was forced to retire due to illness trailing 6-7(4), 6-4, 3-0. She'll next face No. 18 seed Marie Bouzkova for the first time after the Czech player ended Seoul champion Kimberly Birrell's six-match winning streak 6-4, 6-4.
Sun had already delivered an eye-catching performance in her first round, winning nine straight games in a blaze of winners before Eva Lys retired trailing 6-1, 3-0 due to a foot injury. Against a stronger and healthier opponent in Bucsa, the teenager soon showed she could back up her opening result in a full match.
Indeed, it was Sun's composure in closing it out that was most impressive. After erasing an early 2-0 deficit in the second set, she advanced to a game of victory at 5-4 -- but Bucsa, swarming the net, raised her game to level at 5-5. Momentum threatened to turn the Spaniard's way as she held a break point for 6-5. Sun responded brilliantly, swatting a forehand winner down the line to stave it off. A game later, she sealed victory on her first match point by threading a forehand pass.
"I feel really excited before the match," Sun said afterwards. "I know she is really good player. I just want to play my best tennis. First set start really hard because I was little bit nervous. After I feel better and better. Just like this."
Currently ranked No. 582, Sun is guaranteed to make her Top 500 debut following Beijing. She'll become the third 2010-born player to do so, following Memphis champion Kristina Liutova (currently No. 119) and Jana Kovackova (currently No. 451).
During her US Open run, Zheng attributed her uptick in form to the intense training block in Florida that she underwent after losing in Toronto qualifying to Lanlana Tararudee. That's shown not just in her results, but her scorelines. Seven of her last nine matches have gone to three sets, and she's won six of those.
Against Kalinskaya, Zheng piled on the first-strike pressure early. In a remarkable game at 2-2 in the first set, she fired five aces, eventually tallying 13 overall. But there was also a lack of consistency that meant she was unable to close out a 5-3 lead, with Kalinskaya finding better serves when it matters to snatch the tiebreak.
The Roland Garros quarterfinalist had the opportunity to press home her advantage when she held two break points for 2-0 in the second set, but was unable to take either. Zheng continued to slam a succession of return winners off the Kalinskaya delivery, and was eventually rewarded with the break for 4-3 -- and this time, she made no mistake in closing the set out.
Kalinskaya received a medical timeout after the first game of the decider, and lasted just two more games before pulling the plug.
Though pleased with how she responded in the second set, Zheng wasn't entirely satisfied with her performance.
"I was 5-3 up, then I couldn't get the first set when I had my serve on my hand," she said in her press conference. "I kind of feel like I make the match difficult today 'cause I got lot of break point in the first set ... So takes a while to change a bit the mentality in the second set.
"But I was just happy that I'm able to get the match, even she retired. But I felt like the match is quite on my dynamic."
