Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng battled past debutant Anca Todoni in a rain-interrupted match to secure a 7-6(3), 6-1 victory and advance to the second round of the Australian Open on Sunday.
The 22-year-old Chinese star, seeded fifth, admitted to feeling nervous on her return to Rod Laver Arena, where she was a finalist in 2024. Zheng faced three set points in the opening set but found her rhythm to take control of the match in nearly two hours.
“I was nervous, made some stupid mistakes, but I’m happy to win,” Zheng said, crediting the supportive crowd for lifting her spirits.
After a breakthrough 2024 season, including Olympic gold and a career-high world ranking of No. 5, Zheng will face either Laura Siegemund or Hailey Baptiste in the next round.
