Qinwen Zheng outlasted Liudmila Samsonova in a dramatic three-set battle at Roland-Garros, booking her first-ever spot in the French Open quarterfinals after a rollercoaster 7-6(5), 1-6, 6-3 victory on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.
The match was a showcase of power and resilience, with both players trading heavy groundstrokes and momentum swings. Zheng narrowly took the opening set in a tense tiebreak, but Samsonova stormed back in the second, dominating 6-1 with precise shot-making and aggressive play The decider saw Zheng regain composure, breaking Samsonova late and holding on to close out the match after hours and 47 minutes of intense rallies and emotional highs.
With this win, Zheng becomes only the second Chinese woman in the Open era to reach the Roland-Garros quarterfinals, following in the footsteps of Li Na. She will next face the winner of Aryna Sabalenka vs Amanda Anisimova as the tournament’s top contenders prepare for the final stretch.
