Iga Swiatek with Chinese teenager Zheng Qinwen after their French Open match.© AFP
World number one Iga Swiatek survived a terrifying bout at the hands of injured Chinese teenager Zheng Qinwen on Monday, dropping the first set of their 16th French Open clash before heading into the quarter-finals. with their 32nd straight win. Swiatek won 6-7 (5/7), 6-0, 6-2 to equal the third win record of this century set by Justine Henin 14 years ago. In the 82-minute opening set, 74th Zheng saved five sets, got two of his own and then came back from 2/5 down in the tiebreak to stun the top seed.
When the 2020 Roland Garros championship title was in jeopardy, Zheng had to retire with a score of 0-3 in the second set because of a leg injury.
Zheng, who beat 2018 champion Simona Halep on her way to the fourth round, returned with a tight right thigh and quickly dropped the second set.
Swiatek produced a brace in the deciding game and will face 11th seed USA Jessica Pegula for a place in the semifinals.
Rublev coins
Russian world number seven Andrey Rublev reached the French Open quarter-finals for the second time on Monday as Italian opponent Jannik Sinner withdrew from the round of 16 clash with a left knee injury.
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Rublev took a 1-6, 6-4, 2-0 lead as Sinner dropped out as he set up a final clash with compatriot and world number two Daniil Medvedev or 23rd seed Marin Cilic.
Rublev will play his fifth quarter-final at the majors after Australia in 2021, the French Open in 2020 and the US Open in 2017 and 2020.
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