Aryna Sabalenka’s dominance on women tennis is so large (nearly twice as many points, 11,118, than her closer pursuer, Iga Swiatek, 6,773) that when the Belorussian loses, is major news in the world of tennis. Sabalenka came from a nine-match winning streak, including lifting the title in Madrid, but she fell in straight sets in less than two hours against Chinese player Zheng Qinwen, Olympic Champion in Paris and World No. 8: 6-4, 6-3 in Rome quarter-finals.
It was the first time (after six defeats in hard court) that Zheng defeated Sabalenka, but the first time they faced in clay court. And Zheng thinks that’s the reason why: “I guess when I play on clay, I’m more comfortable because I got great experience on clay“, quoted on WTA’s website.
Zheng manage to come from three games down and after that always led the match. The 22-year-old Chinese thinks that she was “more patient” than Sabalenka, who hit 27 unforced errors and only 15 winners. Her early exit from the clay tournament leaves Sabalenka with serious doubts right before Roland Garros, a Grand Slam she has never won.
She will next face Coco Gauff, World No. 3, in semi-finals in Rome, tonight at 20:30 CEST, local time in Rome. The American defeated Mirra Andreeva, one of the breakthroughs of the season. Italian Jasmine Paolini and American Peyton Stearns are the other semi-finalists in Rome.
