Aryna Sabalenka’s remarkable run of making finals came to an abrupt end on Wednesday when Zheng Qinwen beat her in straight sets in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open.
Zheng, who won the Olympic gold medal on the red clay of Paris last year, managed Sabalenka fairly easily, beating the world No. 1 6-4, 6-3 on the similar red clay of Rome to earn a spot in Thursday’s semifinal against Coco Gauff.
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Sabalenka, an emotional player who has been nothing less than clinical for most of the year, grew frustrated after losing her serve to open the second set. Two points into the next game, a fan tried to urge her on just as she was preparing to return serve.
She turned to the area where the voice had come from and yelled back: “Shut the f*** up.” The outburst earned her a code violation for using an audible obscenity.
Sabalenka never found the right formula for breaking down Zheng, who did not lose her serve all evening. In a sport where the winner often wins just a few more points than the loser, Zheng won 73 points to 58 for Sabalenka.
The loss ensured that Sabalenka will have ample rest heading into the French Open, which begins May 26 in Paris. Her remarkable run of form this season has meant that she has already played 41 matches, compiling a record of 35-6.
She has played nine tournaments, winning three and making the final of six. The consistency has allowed her to open up a bulging lead in the rankings. She has accumulated more than 10,000 points. She will enter the French Open with at least a 3,000-point gap between her and Gauff, the world No. 2.
Iga Swiatek, who had been the world No. 1 for most of three seasons from early 2022 until the last stretch of 2024, has dropped to No. 4 with less than 6,000 points.
Sabalenka was previously 6-0 against Zheng, including the once-sided defeat she delivered in the final of the Australian Open last year. She recently beat her in straight sets in the quarterfinals in Miami.
“All this time I’m trying to beat her on court,” Zheng said in a news conference after the match. “Sometimes I’m really close, but it’s just I never make it before. This is the first time we play on clay. I guess when I play on clay, I’m more comfortable because I got great experience on clay.”
Zheng, the world No. 8, said the key on Wednesday was not falling behind early. “Today, when I step on court, I say, ‘I got to be there and hold my service game to not make the match go away so fast,” she said.
Mission accomplished.
(PIERO CRUCIATTI/AFP via Getty Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
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