Golden return to clay: Zheng Qinwen dominates Maria Sakkari in Charleston opener

Zheng Qinwen secured a hard-fought victory over Maria Sakkari in her Charleston Open debut, winning 6-4, 6-1. The 22-year-old returned to clay courts on Wednesday in a tough challenge against the Greek player but dominated most of the match to claim a solid win.

For Zheng, this was her first clay-court match since winning the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and she lived up to expectations, defeating a high-profile opponent despite Sakkari's current low ranking of No. 64. In the third round, Zheng will face the winner between Varvara Gracheva and Elise Mertens.

Zheng (No. 8) was the first to have a break point right from the start, but Sakkari managed to escape an early scare. Both players had strong service numbers, with Sakkari landing 63% of her first serves and winning 67% of those points, while Zheng was even more impressive, with a 65% first-serve percentage and an astonishing 90% success rate on them.

The match remained tight until 3-3, when Zheng once again earned break points. After a grueling 16-point game, the Chinese star took the lead at 4-3. A double fault showed signs of tension on Zheng’s serve, but she held firm and closed the set on serve, 6-4.

Sakkari had been putting up a solid fight and started the second set with a focused hold. However, Zheng gradually took control of the rallies with consistent baseline play, while Sakkari's errors began to mount. A break in the third game set the tone for the set, as Zheng looked increasingly dominant.

Serving at 1-3, 40-0, Sakkari had a chance to stay in touch, but a series of unforced errors gifted Zheng another break. The Chinese player stepped on the gas and capitalized on her momentum, winning 13 of the last 17 points. Smiling toward her box, Zheng wrapped up the match after another Sakkari error, claiming a commanding 6-4, 6-1 victory, winning 10 of the last 12 games.