Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Former World No.1 Iga Swiatek was left stunned by another sensational comeback from Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng at the US Open 2026. Swiatek, who led the first set 5-0 at one point, ultimately lost 5-7, 3-6 to Zheng, who became the first qualifier after Emma Raducanu in 2021 to reach the US Open quarterfinal.
Swiatek seemed to have struggled with an issue on her left leg and that was the reason behind her downfall in the match as Zheng launched a ruthless onslaught on her to overturn the deficit in the first set and then dominate the second one to move to the quarterfinals. This was the first time the Polish star has lost to a qualifier in the main draw of a Grand Slam.
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For Zheng, the fairytale run continued. For the second match in a row, Zheng pulled off an extraordinary recovery from 5-0 down in a set. Against Swiatek, she reeled off seven consecutive games to snatch the set in dramatic fashion.
Remarkably, she had produced an identical turnaround against Madison Keys on Saturday, fighting back from a 0-5 deficit to win the set 7-5 before completing a stunning victory in the match.
HOW THE MATCH UNFOLDED
Swiatek entered the contest with a dominant head-to-head record against Zheng, having won seven of their previous eight meetings. Zheng’s lone victory over the Polish star came at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she secured a straight-sets win.
That breakthrough proved to be the start of a memorable campaign for Zheng, who went on to win the gold medal at the Games.
Zheng endured a difficult start against Swiatek, with a string of unforced errors leaving her struggling through the opening five games. Her problems were summed up in the fifth game, which she surrendered after producing a double fault and two more mistakes.
However, the match took a dramatic turn from there. Zheng found her rhythm and drastically cleaned up her game, committing only two unforced errors over the following seven games. As Zheng raised her level, Swiatek began to lose control and repeatedly missed her targets.
The momentum carried Zheng into the second set, although Swiatek showed she was not ready to surrender. The world No. 8 took the opening game before Zheng immediately responded to level the score at 1-1.
Swiatek then moved ahead again by winning the third game, but there was an unexpected interruption before the next game when a trainer came onto the court to attend to her. The nature of Swiatek’s problem was not immediately clear.
Although she continued playing, Swiatek quickly dropped the next game, sparking further concerns over her condition. She bounced back to win the following game and bring the set level once more.
But Zheng soon regained control. The Chinese star won three consecutive games to establish a 5-3 lead and move within touching distance of a place in the next round.
Serving for the match, Zheng made a strong start by claiming the first three points. Swiatek attempted to fight her way back into the game but could not prevent Zheng from sealing the set 6-3 and wrapping up a straight-sets victory.
ANDREEVA OVERCOMES POTAPOVA CHALLENGE
Fifth seed Mirra Andreeva continued her best-ever run at the US Open on Monday, recovering from a set down to defeat Austria’s Anastasia Potapova 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 and book her place in the quarter-finals.
The Russian will next face either Iva Jovic or Coco Gauff, who were set to meet in an all-American fourth-round contest.
Andreeva struggled to find consistency in a closely contested opening set, committing more than twice as many unforced errors as Potapova. The crucial moment came in the final game, when Andreeva handed her opponent the break and the set after two double faults and an errant backhand.
However, the Roland Garros champion turned things around in the second set. Andreeva significantly reduced her errors and found success in shorter exchanges, eventually earning a decisive advantage after Potapova double-faulted to concede the break in the seventh game.
The Russian carried that momentum into the deciding set, breaking Potapova early to take a 2-1 lead with some solid baseline play.
The match then took an unfortunate turn in the ninth game when Potapova fell to the court in pain after chasing down a ball along the baseline and appeared to hurt her left knee. Andreeva immediately rushed across to check on her opponent and helped Potapova make her way back to the bench.
Potapova remained on the court for several minutes while receiving treatment, with her leg eventually taped by the physio. Despite the discomfort, she showed determination to return and complete the match.
Andreeva eventually sealed her place in the quarter-finals with a backhand winner before crossing the court to share an emotional embrace with Potapova.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
