Tennis has so far been a great spectacle at the Olympics 2024. From Nadalcaraz to Murray’s swan song, it’s been filled with surprises and emotional moments that truly encapsulate the Olympic spirit.
But despite all this, let’s face it. There was a slim chance that Murray’s partnership with Dan Evans, and Nadalcaraz winning the whole thing, would both hit your bingo cards.
However, everyone’s mind was fixed on Iga Swiatek winning the whole thing on the women’s side of things. She was so far ahead of everyone in the SBOTOP Olympics 2024 odds, that it would take something magical and historic to take her out of Stade Roland Garros.
And magical was Zheng Qinwen’s effort when she eliminated the Pole in straight sets (6-2, 7-5).
A win for the ages
Zheng is one of the best youngsters on the WTA circuit at the moment. Currently enjoying her best year insofar as rankings are concerned, the 21-year-old Chinese sensation rose to the number seven spot in the rankings, defended her title in Palermo and achieved an Australian Open final earlier in the year—to which she lost against Aryna Sabalenka.
She had also reached a quarter-final berth at the US Open the year prior.
But gifted as she is, her semi-final outing yesterday pitted her against a four-time French Open champion—who just won the title a couple of months ago on the same court they just played on—and an opponent she was yet to beat in the six times they had previously faced.
Well, consider that winless streak now done and dusted.
Zheng was absolutely clinical and showed the fighting spirit one must possess in order to chase Olympic glory.
After a dominant first set, Swiatek showed why she is a clay court specialist by winning the first four games to swing momentum in her favour. At this point, I wouldn’t blame you for saying that Iga still takes the win—this is her kingdom, after all.
Swiatek has been undefeated on this court since 2022 and previously defeated Zheng in their Round of 16 French Open match that year (which included a second set bagel, by the way). Zheng also double-faulted in the prior set to give Swiatek a 0-4 lead. The world number one, error-ridden throughout the match, threw away her chance to go up 0-5 on her serve after three successive errors and a double fault in the end.
The reigning French Open winner could not regain her composure and continued to miss shots, winning only once in the next eight games, including four straight errors to hand Zheng the victory.
Aside from her maiden win against Swiatek, this is also the first time a Chinese tennis player—man or woman—has gotten a chance to play for an Olympic gold in tennis.
The stats were close for this one, apart from the fact that Swiatek had 36 unforced errors compared to Zheng’s 13.
She’ll get a chance to finish the whole thing tomorrow.
Vekic’s rise
Unlike Zheng, Donna Vekic’s run this season is much less to be desired. She’s yet to win a title this year, and was on the verge of quitting tennis altogether when a knee injury back in 2021 stalled her career.
Despite injuries and setbacks, the 28-year-old Croat was a fighter. And there was no better way to show her grit than when she reached the Wimbledon semi-final against Italy’s Jasmine Paolini. Despite losing the match and visibly breaking down because of an apparent injury, she fought tooth and nail in the longest women’s semi-final match in Wimbledon’s history.
Who would’ve thought, then, that after everything, she now has the chance to win Croatia their first Olympic gold in tennis?
After beating world number two Coco Gauff in a controversial match, she defeated Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in the quarter-final by saving a match point in a third-set tiebreak.
In the semi-final, Vekic had little trouble dispatching Slovakia’s Anna Schmiedlova (6-4, 6-0).
Just like Zheng, Vekic is also chasing history for her country and herself. It’ll be a final filled with Olympics 2024 highlights and promises to be an emotional one, whatever the result may be.
They have only faced each other twice in their careers, with Zheng winning in Zhuhai last year and Vekic ousting her Chinese opponent at Courmayeur back in 2021.
This will be their first meeting on a clay court. And with Zheng having more success on the surface, she is the undoubted favourite heading into the final.
Regardless, you wouldn’t want to miss this one.
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