Raducanu reaches her second final 1609 days after winning the US Open; Zheng Qinwen returns to face the toughest draw yet

Following Raducanu’s progression to the final in Cluj, the public jokingly called it the tennis equivalent of “One Thousand and One Nights,” as it felt somewhat surreal for a British girl to experience such a thing!

In 2021, the relatively unknown Raducanu surged through the US Open qualifiers to claim the title, prompting nearly everyone to think that the time of British women’s tennis was imminent and the sport was about to change dramatically.

However, what followed was not a revolution in women’s tennis but rather a steady decline for the British player. That US Open victory seemed to have drained all of Raducanu’s luck, leaving her struggling in the tennis world, where winning another title or even reaching a final again became an almost impossible task.

How poor was Raducanu’s performance after winning the US Open? In 2022, she was knocked out in the first round upon returning to the US Open; her best Grand Slam result afterward was reaching the round of 16 at Wimbledon; her win-loss record in WTA 1000 events was a disappointing 23 wins to 22 losses, and so on!

Such results were clearly far below the expectations placed on Raducanu, with many feeling this was not the kind of record a Grand Slam champion should have. Yet, this is exactly what happened to the British player, leaving fans with nothing but helpless sighs.

It is precisely for this reason that when Raducanu reached the second final of her career after 1609 days, emotions ran high. Fans and netizens had waited five years without any hope, only to be surprised once again by an unexpected and almost mythical outcome.

In fact, although Raducanu was the top seed at the Cluj 250 tournament, her path to the final was far from smooth.

For example, in the semifinals against Ukrainian dark horse Olijnikova, after the two players split the first two sets, Raducanu was broken early in the deciding set. Many fans and observers thought it would be tough for the British player to turn things around, but Raducanu resisted the pressure and staged a comeback in the final set, winning a grueling 2-hour 50-minute marathon to claim victory.

Seeing that Raducanu’s opponent in the final was Romanian veteran Costea, some of her supporters prematurely declared “the championship is secured.” However, considering Costea’s dominant semifinal win over Snigur, conceding only three games and a bagel set, plus the advantage of playing on home soil with all the support that entails, Raducanu will need to fight hard, minimize mistakes, and give her all to claim this 250-level title and bring her career trophy count to an even number.

Zheng Qinwen, confirmed to return at the Doha 1000 event, is another highly anticipated young female player currently!

After overcoming many challenges on her comeback journey, this time Zheng Qinwen did not miss the mark, as her name appeared on the Doha main draw, sparking great curiosity about what kind of results China’s top female player will deliver in her return match.

Currently, two main views dominate the discussion about Zheng Qinwen’s draw: it’s not bad but tough, and it’s the most thrilling.

The reason her draw isn’t considered the worst is because her first-round opponent is Kenin, who is in very poor form this new season. Even if Zheng doesn’t advance far, at least she has a good chance to avoid a first-round exit.

However, the opponents Zheng might face after Kenin push her draw into the most intense and challenging territory.

Potential second-round opponent Schneider; third-round Lebakina; quarterfinals Andrejeva or Mboko; semifinals Gauff or Aleksandrova; and the final could be Swiatek or Anisimova — nearly all are tough competitors. Some say that if Zheng can display the kind of dominance that conquers all obstacles, her first WTA 1000 title could be within reach, just like the airline ad she recently endorsed says: “Become a legendary story.”

However, regarding expectations for Zheng to triumph through such a tough draw, her team tempered hopes by stating, “How far she goes isn’t the goal; the primary focus is to ensure her health,” instantly lowering fans’ expectations and suggesting she might not push herself to the limit.

Besides Zheng’s challenging draw, Wang Xinyu’s draw is similarly tough. Facing Arango in the first round, most believe she should advance smoothly, but in the second round, she will face Lebakina, where luck will be crucial for China’s second-ranked player.

Since Zhang Shuai was eliminated early in the Doha qualifiers, expectations for Chinese players in the Doha 1000 event are modest: reaching the third round is considered a successful outcome, with no higher hopes.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlit River Sky)