Chinese 12th seed Zheng Qinwen secured a spot in the Australian Open semifinals for the first time, overcoming Anna Kalinskaya in a hard-fought quarter-final match. Inspired by a brief encounter with men’s world number one Novak Djokovic, Zheng expressed her desire to adopt the Serbian player’s calm demeanor.
Zheng’s victory over Kalinskaya involved a comeback after losing the opening set 6-7(4). Reflecting on her conversation with Djokovic, she shared, “Well, that talk was really fast, honestly. I talked with him before his match. He came to say hi to me, so chill. Looks like he doesn’t have a match.”
Acknowledging the contrast in their pre-match routines, Zheng expressed her eagerness to learn the art of staying composed from top players. “Because me, before a match, I’m really focused and I don’t want to talk with anyone. I really want to learn that chill from the top players because I think that is what I’m missing,” she added.
Despite the initial struggles in the match against Kalinskaya, Zheng adjusted her mindset to secure victory. “I think 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,” Zheng explained.
Looking ahead to her semifinal clash against Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska, Zheng emphasized the need for recovery and focus on the present. Acknowledging areas for improvement, particularly in her serve, she remains optimistic about her chances. “I don’t know if you can improve in less than 24 hours. Basically, I think just trying to recover and think about what I have to do for the next match and enjoy on court, focus on the present,” Zheng stated. “There is nothing I can change too much in 24 hours, right? So, yeah, I just keep it simple and let’s go for it.”
