Qinwen Zheng received a surprise visit from former champion Li Na after reaching the second week of the Australian Open.
The 12th seed is into the last at the Australian Open for the first time in her career after winning the all-Chinese clash against Yafan Wang.
It wasn’t an easy match for Zheng as she won the epic contest 6-4 2-6 7-6(10-8) in two hours and 40 minutes to reach the fourth round.
After the match Zheng admitted that her focus dropped in the second set but was happy to fight for the victory in the end, “Actually, I start the match quite well. I playing the structure of my game. I step inside when I have to. I had more patience at beginning,” Zheng explained in her press conference.
“Start in the second set actually I was feeling my focus was dropping a bit. Also, those quality of balls is not the same like in the first set. She had really, like, stable baseline game. I think that makes me feel like really difficult.
“I think the baseline stroke of her is one of the best. I really can say that. I just lost the second set. You know, it was so fast like that, so I have to change my mindset in the third set.
“The third set everybody is there fighting, so just point by point. We had a really difficult super tiebreak. That was amazing to won the match like that.”
A satisfying victory for Zheng who is now into the second week of a Grand Slam for the third time in her career.
However today was more than just a tennis match as the whole world got to see the best of Chinese tennis on the biggest of stages at Rod Laver Arena.
So it was only fitting that during one of her interviews, Zheng got one of the biggest surprises by a Chinese tennis legend and former champion Li Na.
In her post-match press conference Zheng said she wasn’t expecting the surprise and revealed what piece of advice she received, “Well, you guys prepare really well because that was totally surprise for me,” Zheng admitted.
“Very first time. We don’t have each other’s WeChat, no phone calls. We met once before when I was a junior, but not single-to-single, face-to-face. I didn’t have the chance to talk with her, but today is the real first time we talk with each other.
“She said to me don’t think too much, just keep simple. I think that’s right now what I need to do as well.”
Zheng will hope the visit from Li Na will inspire her tennis as she takes on Oceane Dodin for a place in the quarter-finals.
