Qinwen Zheng looks like a woman reborn since the return of coach Pera Riba. Zheng enjoyed a remarkable 2024 campaign, finishing runner-up at the Aussie Open and claiming Olympic Gold in singles.
2025 WTA Tour
WTA 500
Charleston Open
LTP-Daniel Island, South Carolina, USA (Outdoor Clay)
Selected Round of 32 Matches- 2nd-3rd April
3rd April
Qinwen Zheng (3) 0.36 vs Maria Sakkari 2.1
But she looked slightly directionless in the opening salvos of this season, going 1-3 in her first three tournaments of the year. She struggled with her serve and temperament. Coach Pera Riba- who seems to play a crucial role in keeping Zheng focused- missed the opening of the season due to unscheduled hip surgery. Zheng has been much improved since his return, making back-to-back quarterfinals during the ‘Sunshine Double’. Zheng won back-to-back Palermo titles in 2023 and 2024 and obviously won Olympic Gold at Roland Garros. She is comfortable on clay, creating plenty of topspin on that forehand side. These slick green surfaces should also suit her big serve.
This has been a tough old season for former World No.3 Maria Sakkari. The Greek star has battled for consistency in recent years but has always been capable of finding a standout result (she finished runner-up at Indian Wells last year). She underwent extensive shoulder surgery towards the end of last season andhasn’t been able to find her footing since returning to action, improving to a poor 6-10 record with her first-round win over Marina Stakusic. A semifinalist here last season, the powerful Sakkari has proven to be an effective clay-court operator over the years. She reached the French Open semis in 2021 and also has semifinal finishes in Madrid and Rome. So, she has what it takes to compete at an elite level on these surfaces.
The Verdict: Zheng to win in straight sets at 0.84- Sakkari leads the head-to-head 2-1. However, Zheng won their most recent meeting at the 2023 Zhengzhou Open. Zheng should have what it takes to ease past Sakkari. That topspin forehand is a formidable weapon and should be enough to keep an out-of-form Sakkari quiet.
