Zheng Set to Clash with Gauff, Musetti to Face Alcaraz

ROME: In a stunning turn of events at the Italian Open, Qinwen Zheng triumphed over world number one Aryna Sabalenka, while Lorenzo Musetti delivered a shock to defending champion Alexander Zverev. Both players have now advanced to the semi-finals held at the Foro Italico on Wednesday.

Zheng secured her first-ever victory against Sabalenka with a decisive 6-4, 6-3 win. Prior to this match, the world number one had been victorious in all six of their previous encounters.

Zheng, currently ranked eighth, demonstrated her skill by breaking Sabalenka’s serve on three occasions and successfully defending against all five break points she faced.

Key Quotes from Zheng:
  • “I told myself not to give her any easy points. I knew that longer rallies would be to my advantage, especially after four or five shots.”
  • “My tactic was to focus on holding my service game to prevent the match from slipping away quickly.”
  • “By fully dedicating myself to the match, I felt I could see clearly where to direct my plays.”

In the semi-final, Zheng is slated to compete against Coco Gauff, who secured her place after a victory over Mirra Andreeva with a score of 6-4, 7-6(5).

Meanwhile, Italian player Musetti delighted the home crowd by upsetting second seed Zverev with a 7-6 (1), 6-4 victory, earning his spot in the next round.

Musetti’s Perspective:

“The support from the crowd has been a significant advantage throughout this week,” Musetti commented. “Part of my strategy was to create difficulties for Sasha (Zverev), who is an excellent hitter but tends to position himself further behind the baseline.”

Musetti is now preparing to compete against world number three Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-final, following Alcaraz’s win against Jack Draper in the quarter-finals.