Stop the losing streak! Zheng Qinwen defeats former US Open champion for the third time, securing an opening victory in the Sunshine Double.

In the WTA1000 Miami Open held early this morning, Zheng Qinwen, who has previously reached a Grand Slam final, swept past American player Stephens, a former US Open champion, with a score of 6:3 6:2. This victory marks the first main draw win for Chinese tennis players in the Sunshine Double. Meanwhile, in the women's doubles matches taking place concurrently, Yang Zhaoxuan, Xu Yifan, and Jiang Xinyu also achieved victories. This is the first time since the start of the Sunshine Double that all Chinese tennis players have won on the same day.

With this win, Zheng Qinwen's world ranking surpassed Wang Xinyu, the "Chinese Sharapova" who unfortunately lost in a three-set battle in the second round of the Miami Open yesterday, reclaiming her position as China's top female player. However, perhaps many are unaware that this is not the first encounter between Stephens and Zheng Qinwen; they have faced each three times since 2022. So, in which tournaments have Zheng Qinwen and Stephens competed against each other? Today, let this article take you through their match history.

In January 2022, three post-00s players Zheng Qinwen, Wang Xinyu, and Wang Xiyu all secured their first career Grand Slam main draw victories at the Australian Open. From that moment, post-00s players gradually became the backbone of Chinese women's tennis. Meanwhile, Stephens, a former US Open champion, fought through three sets in the Australian Open first round but lost to British player Raducanu, exiting early.

However, she soon claimed the championship at the WTA250 Guadalajara event, her first tour title since 2018. In early April, Zheng Qinwen, who had only managed one win in the Sunshine Double, and Stephens, who also performed poorly in the Sunshine Double, met in the first round of the WTA500 Charleston event. At that time, although Stephens' form was no longer at its peak, her world ranking was still significantly higher than Zheng Qinwen's.

In this match, the two battled into the deciding set before a winner emerged. During their first encounter, the match was interrupted for a considerable time due to heavy rain. In the second set, Zheng Qinwen paused while preparing for her second serve, and Stephens argued that she should not have stopped voluntarily and deserved a penalty. However, after disputing with the umpire, the official disregarded the complaint. Zheng Qinwen delivered a bagel in the deciding set, ending the match's suspense. This was also her first career victory over a TOP50 player.

In late June, Zheng Qinwen, who had already advanced to a Grand Slam quarterfinal, faced Stephens again in the Wimbledon first round. In this match, she resisted her opponent's pressure in the first set, narrowly winning it through a tiebreak. In the second set, when the score was tied at 5:5, Zheng Qinwen suggested to the umpire that the match could be postponed due to the late hour. At this point, the seasoned Stephens spoke disrespectfully, stating she still wanted to continue and sarcastically asking if Zheng Qinwen didn't want to win. Hearing this, Zheng Qinwen rallied, scoring consecutive points to win 7:5, securing her first Wimbledon victory.

Now, in their third meeting, Zheng Qinwen won in straight sets, achieving a three-match winning streak against Stephens. Although her opponent's current ranking is not high, as a former US Open champion with extensive Grand Slam experience, consistently securing victories still demonstrates Zheng Qinwen's growth and dominance. We look forward to Zheng Qinwen progressing steadily in Miami and bringing more surprises in deeper rounds. That concludes today's tennis story; we'll continue tomorrow.（Source: Tennis Home Author: Yixin居士）