Qinwen Zheng puts first set loss down to overthinking

Qinwen Zheng has admitted that she was thinking a bit too much as she lost the first set in her quarter-final victory over Anna Kalinskaya.

The performance also ensures that Qinwen will make her Top 10 debut in the next update of the WTA rankings following the Australian Open, becoming the second Chinese woman behind Li to break into the elite bracket.

Qinwen, 21, was voted Most Improved Player of the Year last month after winning her first two WTA Tour championships in 2023, in Palermo and in her hometown tennis Zhengzhou.

Qinwen will play qualifier Dayana Yastremska in the inaugural match between the pair as they both debut as Grand Slam semifinalists.

Yastremska and Qinwen are the seventh and eighth players born in 2000 or later to reach the last four of a major, after Amanda Anisimova, Bianca Andreescu, Iga Swiatek, Emma Raducanu, Leylah Fernandez, and Coco Gauff.

Initially, there appeared to be no way to split the players or call which way the match would go but Qinwen came into her own as the contest progressed.

Qinwen led by a break twice in the first set, but Kalinskaya broke back both times.

At 3-3, Kalinskaya produced timely winners to save another pair of break opportunities and take the lead for the first time in the match.

Kalinskaya’s game plan, which involved anticipating and diverting the seeded player’s strong strokes, effectively curtailed Zheng’s strength at first.

In the tiebreak, Kalinskaya barely missed a beat, winning six of the final seven points after trailing 3-1.

Zheng’s first-serve percentage of 49% in the first set let her down, particularly on set point.

Qinwen zeroed in on serve as the match wore on and Kalinskaya could not longer get any purchase on her delivery while he Chinese star turned up the heat with her return game.

“I lost the first set and it was really, really difficult,” Qinwen said.

“I mean, the opponent, she’s playing really good.

“That was really tough match. So emotional. It’s more than just tennis on court.

“At the beginning of the first set I’m just thinking too much. That’s why I lost the first set, because I got those early breaks. Then later on I’m not able to keep my serve. Of course that’s one of my problems. So when I lost the first set directly, I tried to tell myself, ‘Stay focused. Don’t think too much. Just focus right now.’

“Because the first set already prove [that thinking] too much is not helping, and you can’t play your best tennis there. So I’m really happy that I’m able to change that and to win the match at the end.”

READ MORE: Qinwen Zheng credits being ‘at peace’ with recent improvements