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Zheng’s 0-5 comeback
Zheng Qinwen rallied from a 5-0 deficit in the deciding set to beat Madison Keys 1-6, 7-6(3), 7-5 and advance to the US Open women’s singles round of 16 on Saturday in New York.
“bounced back from a 5-0 deficit in the third set”
CGTN said Zheng “bounced back from a 5-0 deficit in the third set” after dropping the first set 6-1, and it described Keys as a “crowd favorite” who led 5-0 before Zheng won seven straight games.
The New York Times also tied the match to the day’s wider pattern of upsets, noting that Madison Keys was serving at 5-0 in the third set before Zheng stormed back for a 1-6, 7-6(3) 7-5 win.
Zheng said, “It is a very classic comeback,” and she added, “I kept holding every single point.”
The victory set up Zheng to take on Poland’s Iga Swiatek, described by CGTN as a “six-time Grand Slam champion.”
Quotes and match context
After Keys lamented the turning point, she said, “I obviously got off to a really good lead, and then I just got really scared, like I couldn't swing.”
TNT Sports framed Zheng’s turnaround as a return to competitive instincts, quoting Zheng saying, “I forgot how to compete.”
TNT Sports reported that Keys was 5-0 up and had a match point in the final set before Zheng reeled off seven successive games to take the set and stun the crowd in New York.
The New York Times described Coco Gauff’s day as one of “upsets and tussles,” and it said Gauff made 28 errors, including six double faults across 19 games, against Cristina Bucşa of Spain before winning 6-3, 6-4.
In the same US Open briefing, the paper said Iga Świątek needed to come through two tiebreaks to beat Marie Bouzková 7-6(3), 7-6(3), underscoring how tight margins shaped the women’s draw.
Next matches and stakes
Zheng’s win moved her into the US Open women’s singles round of 16, where CGTN said she would face Iga Swiatek, and it also described Zheng as the 22nd-seeded Keys’ opponent who had previously been the “reigning Olympic gold medalist.”
“will see her take on Poland's six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek”
The New York Times connected the match to a broader slate of dramatic results, including Naomi Osaka’s three-set win over Elise Mertens on Louis Armstrong Stadium, where Osaka grabbed 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.
TNT Sports said Zheng’s comeback was “a significant victory” after she required elbow surgery last year, and it reported that she was now set up for a clash with six-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek.
The New York Times also noted that the day’s upsets dented American hopes, with Madison Keys eliminated and Taylor Fritz losing in the men’s draw to Francisco Cerúndolo, while it described the women’s draw as full of “tussle among the top players.”
Fox Sports added a separate US Open storyline, saying Australian Dane Sweeny’s “giant-killing run” ended when the 25-year-old wildcard fell to 21st seed Luciano Darderi in straight sets on Sunday morning Australian time.