No. 26 seed Paula Badosa showcased her resilience and determination as she fought back from a set down and saved a match point to secure a spot in the Round of 16 at the US Open for the first time. In a thrilling encounter, Badosa overcame Romanian qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse in a hard-fought third-set tiebreak, winning 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (8). This victory marked the second deciding-set tiebreak on the women's side during this tournament, with Ena Shibahara achieving a similar feat in the first round.
Badosa's achievement is noteworthy as she has now reached the Round of 16 at all four major tournaments, joining an elite group of Spanish women in the Open era who have accomplished this feat, including Garbine Muguruza, Conchita Martínez, Carla Suarez Navarro, and Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario.
On the other hand, No. 7 seed Qinwen Zheng, the 2024 Olympic singles gold medalist and Australian Open finalist, displayed her prowess on the court by overcoming slow starts in her initial matches and defeating unseeded German Jule Niemeier 6-2, 6-1 to advance to the Round of 16 for the second consecutive year.
Reflecting on her performance, Zheng acknowledged the challenges she faced post-Olympics but expressed satisfaction with her progress, stating, 'Finally, it's the first match I won in two sets. ... It's not (been) easy for me to play after the Olympic Games.' Zheng's achievement of reaching the Round of 16 in consecutive US Opens places her in esteemed company alongside Li Na, the only other Chinese woman in the Open era to achieve this feat in 2008 and 2009.
Looking ahead, Zheng eagerly anticipates her next match against the winner of Donna Vekic and Peyton Stearns, with whom she has a history, having defeated Vekic in the gold-medal match in Paris. Zheng's journey at the US Open continues to captivate fans and showcase her growing prowess on the court.
ESPN Stats & Information and Reuters contributed valuable insights to this report, highlighting the significance of these players' achievements at the US Open.
