Zheng Qinwen Bounces Back to Beat Anca Todoni in Straight Sets

Zheng Qinwen bounced back from a “stupid mistake” to begin her Australian Open campaign with a straight-set win over Romanian qualifier Anca Todoni on a rain-affected first day in Melbourne. The fifth seed, who reached last year’s final before losing to Aryna Sabalenka, triumphed 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 under the roof of Rod Laver Arena. Zheng served for the first set at 5-4 with three set points but failed to convert.

Todoni, 20, had an opportunity to take the set when she created three set points at 6-5 on Zheng Qinwen’s serve but couldn’t capitalize. Zheng held her serve and won the tiebreak before cruising to victory in the second set, breaking early and securing the win. Despite her shaky start, Zheng expressed relief, saying, “I was doing stupid mistakes – I don’t know what happened.”

The 22-year-old also addressed the added pressure following her Olympic gold, stating, “Pressure is a privilege,” and that she enjoys playing under pressure with the support of her fans. On the same day, Donna Vekic paid tribute to her coach, Pam Shriver, who stayed in Los Angeles to support her family amid devastating wildfires. After defeating Diane Parry 6-4 6-4, Vekic wrote “LA” on a camera lens in solidarity, acknowledging the ongoing disaster in the city.

Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva also won her first-round match, defeating Czech Marie Bouzkova 6-3 6-3. The 17-year-old, who reached the 2024 French Open semifinals will next face Magda Linette or Moyuka Uchijima. Heavy rain caused delays on the outdoor courts until 18:00 local time (07:00 GMT) but indoor matches continued without interruption.