Zheng Qinwen erases another 5-0 deficit and beats Iga Swiatek to reach the US Open quarterfinals

NEW YORK (AP) — Zheng Qinwen made a daring escape from a 5-0 deficit for the second straight match, with this comeback sending her back into the U.S. Open quarterfinals.

The 2024 Olympic gold medalist from China beat No. 8 seed Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-3 on Monday to become the first qualifier to reach the final eight in Flushing Meadows since Emma Raducanu won the title in 2021.

Two days after she was down 5-0 in the third set before winning the final seven games to stun No. 22 Madison Keys 1-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5, Zheng quickly dropped the first five games against Swiatek, the 2022 U.S. Open champion.

“I guess to come back 0-5 yesterday is not lucky, that’s all I can say,” Zheng said.

Swiatek couldn't convert two set points serving at 5-1 and Zheng fought off another when Swiatek served with a 5-3 lead. She said she was so focused on each point that she even forgot the score.

Zheng was a U.S. Open quarterfinalist in 2023 and 2024 but after elbow surgery had to go through qualifying this year to reach the main draw. Raducanu's title five years ago made her the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title in the Open era, which dates to 1968.

Swiatek came in with a 7-1 record against Zheng, with the only loss two years ago in the Olympic semifinals in Paris. Zheng came back from a 4-0 deficit in the second set that day to stop Swiatek’s 25-match winning streak at Roland Garros, where she has won four French Open titles.

Zheng will play either two-time champion Naomi Osaka or No. 2 Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals.

French Open champion Mirra Andreeva came back to beat No. 24 Anastasia Potapova 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 and the No. 5 seed will face either No. 4 Coco Gauff or No. 14 Iva Jovic. The two Americans meet Monday night in the opening match of the night session.

Top-seeded Alexander Zverev was in action Monday night against No. 21 Luciano Darderi, while No. 14 Learner Tien tried to give the host country four men in the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the first time since 1995 when he faced Karen Khachanov. No. 8 Ben Shelton, No. 11 Frances Tiafoe and Alex Michelsen all advanced Sunday, along with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.

Swiatek got treatment on her left thigh in the second set after she held serve for a 2-1 lead. She said the injury didn't have much impact on the match, and in reality, her problems came much earlier when she let the first set slip away.

“I never judge that I’m going to have a lot of time. That’s why I usually am able to close the set with a pretty straightforward score,” Swiatek said, explaining that she is usually “just pushing and being intense all the time.”

“But today, I wouldn’t say it had anything to do with mentality,” she added. “It was more that I started making mistakes from easy balls and Qinwen stopped doing mistakes. She played the balls better.”