Australian Open: Zheng beats Todoni in straight sets

Last year’s runner-up had to save set point in the opening set

Zheng Qinwen © Imago/Panoramic

January 12, 2025

China’s Zheng Qinwen moved into the second round of the 2025 Australian Open on Sunday, defeating Romanian Anca Todoni 7-6(3), 6-1 in Melbourne.

The No 5 seed had to save set point in the opening set, scraping her way through in a tiebreak before running away with the second.

“The first match is always not easy,” she said after the match. “I’m just happy to get through the match, to win (the first set) in a tiebreak and finally find my rhythm.”

“The first set is always not easy, especially because I was doing stupid mistakes – I don’t know what happened there,” Zheng added.

“But I am happy to get through. I like to play with pressure. Like what Billie Jean King says – pressure is a privilege. I love this sentence.

“Let’s keep going and playing with pressure.”

Zheng was strong on serve throughout the one-hour, 56-minute match, sending down eight aces and winning 83 percent of first-serve points. She also out-hit Todoni 29 winners to 20, while making just 21 unforced errors.

Next up, Zheng faces the winner of Laura Siegemund and Hayley Baptiste in the second round.