World number 31 Jasmine Paolini beat number 6 seed Caroline Garcia 3-6 6-4 7-5 in the second round of the Bank of Communications Zhengzhou Open after saving four match points while she was serving at 4-5 in the third set.
Paolini, who had not taken a set from Garcia in their four previous head-to-head matches, clinched her third career top 10 win, and second in 2023.
Paolini has reached her fourth quarter final this season. The Italian player will face either Liudmila Samsonova or Laura Siegemund.
Garcia earned the first break in the fifth game of the first set. Paolini broke straight back in the sixth game. Garcia broke twice in the seventh and ninth games to close out the first set 6-3.
Paolini did not convert four break points in the third game of the second set. The Italian player earned the break in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead. Garcia did not convert a set point in the ninth game. Paolini served out the second set on her third set point.
Paolini saved a break point in the sixth game of the third set with a forehand winner. The top Italian player saved four match point in the 10th game. Garcia faced three break points at 0-40 after a double fault in the 11th game. The French player saved the first two break points, but Paolini converted her third break point to take a 6-5 lead. Paolini rallied from 15-30 down to serve out the third set on her first match point.
Zheng Qinwen upset Maria Sakkari 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 in 1 hour and 49 minutes to reach her fifth quarter final of the season.
Zheng scored the fifth win against a top 10 opponent in her career and her first victory in three head-to-head matches against Sakkari.
The Chinese player won her first WTA title in Palermo and reached the quarter final at the US Open.
Zheng slammed an overhead to break for 2-1. Six of the first nine games featured at least one break point, but only two chances were converted. Zheng broke serve in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. Sakkari broke back in the eighth games to draw level to 4-4. Zheng had to serve to stay in the set twice but she earned three mini-breaks to win the tie-break 7-2.
Zheng fended off the only break point with a backhand winner down the line in the third game before breaking serve with a sliced pass in the sixth game to open up a 4-2 lead and clinched the win with her 13th ace on her second match point. Zheng hit 30 winners to 28 unforced errors.
Zheng set up a match against Anhelina Kalinina, who beat Vera Zvonareva 7-5 6-1 to advance to her first quarter final since reaching the final in Rome last May.
“The game plan was to be aggressive. The last few times I played against her, I remember I was not aggressive enough. I stayed too long in the same spot. I also tried to improve my first serve percentage and return more in the middle. I had a good performance tonight. I think”.
