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SCMP Sport

Zheng Qinwen faces an uphill battle to reach the main draw of the US Open after losing in the quarter-finals of the Athens Open on Friday.
The Chinese tennis star threw away solid leads in both sets before losing 6-4, 6-4 to Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic.
Zheng now faces the real possibility that she will have to go through the qualifiers for the final grand slam of the season due to her ranking not meeting the threshold for the main draw.
With the next women’s professional rankings released on Monday – the same day that the US Open cuts off the main entry draw list – Zheng’s live ranking, currently No 122, indicates it is likely the former world No 4 will miss out.
Players need to rank in or around the top 104 to meet the direct qualification threshold for the US Open main draw.
A final chance for the Paris Olympic champion would be a wildcard for the main draw in New York; otherwise, she will need to play in a grand slam qualifier for the first time since 2022, when she made her grand slam debut in Melbourne at the Australian Open.

Despite her latest setback, tennis fans, however, did not think playing in the qualifiers would necessarily be a bad thing.
“Since it has come to this, it’s good to play more games and have more opportunities to get back into form,” one commenter said.
“It’s OK even if you can’t perform in the next two years, just stay healthy,” read another comment.
Playing against former Wimbledon and French Open champion Krejcikova in the Greek capital, Zheng was leading 3-0 in the first set, and was the first to break in the second set to lead 2-0, but the Hubei native went on to lose in straight sets.
Zheng admitted after the match that she did not play well.
“I didn’t take my chances in the first and conceded so many games,” she said. “I also had a lot of opportunities in the second set; I couldn’t hold my serve to go 3-0 up, so it’s a pity.
“I don’t think I’m at my best right now, but I feel like I’m working hard step by step to get back to my old self, or even better. Let’s take it one step at a time and see where I can go in the future.”
Some social media users continued to stand by Zheng.
“Those who truly like you won’t care about the gains and losses during this period; they all know it’s a difficult time. Fans should take a longer-term view,” one Weibo user said.
“I sincerely hope she can adjust her mindset,” another commenter said. “Since her comeback, her footwork and hitting rhythm have deteriorated significantly compared to her peak, yet she still tries too hard to hit extremely difficult winners, leading to numerous errors.
“But I still believe she can bounce back; she’s not that fragile. It might also be due to external and internal pressure; she’s always trying to prove herself, no longer able to be as joyful and patient as she was at the Olympics.”


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WTA (Women's Tennis Association)

Zheng Qinwen faces the real possibility that she will have to go through the qualifiers for the US Open. Photo: Getty Images

Zheng Qinwen still has the backing of fans despite the latest setback. Photo: Getty Images

Zheng Qinwen will face either Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic, the world No 32, or France’s 204th-ranked Carole Monnet on Friday. Photo: AP

Zheng Qinwen’s rankings had fallen 131 places from a high of world No 4. Photo: AP

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An Adidas sportswear store at an outdoor shopping mall in Beijing promoting the Fifa World Cup. Photo: AP

Lenovo employees have been given special passes to use during the World Cup. Photo: Handout

Employees of Chinese internet technology company NetEase get Monday morning off.  Photo: Shutterstock

Sport

China

Tennis

Paris Olympic champion expects to go through qualifiers for the last grand slam of the season in New York unless she receives a wildcard


Paris Olympic champion expects to go through qualifiers for the last grand slam of the season in New York unless she receives a wildcard.


US Open (tennis)

Zheng Qinwen

Zheng Qinwen faces uphill battle to make US Open main draw after quarter-final loss in Athens

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Paris Olympic champion expects to go through qualifiers for the last grand slam of the season in New York unless she receives a wildcard

Paris Olympic champion expects to go through qualifiers for the last grand slam of the season in New York unless she receives a wildcard