Zheng Qinwen of China competes during the women's singles final of tennis against China's Zhu Lin at the Hangzhou Asian Games on Sept. 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng)
US Open quarterfinalist Zheng Qinwen of China claimed her first Asiad gold in the women's singles, while her compatriot Zhu Lin took the silver.
HANGZHOU, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- China's sensation Zheng Qinwen continued her good form from the US Open earlier this month, clinching her first Asiad gold in the women's singles after defeating compatriot Zhu Lin 6-2, 6-4 here on Friday.
20-year-old Zheng, who had made it to the US Open quarterfinals, dominated the game with six aces in total. Second seed Zhu had taken a 4-3 lead in the second set, but Zheng rallied back to secure her title in straight sets.
"There are always ups and downs in the tournament. The challenges in previous rounds helped me better prepare for the last match," said Zheng, who experienced tie-breaks in the semis and quarterfinals against Alexandra Eala of the Philippines and South Korea's Park So-hyun respectively on her way to the final.
Zhu Lin returns the ball during the final. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng)
"It was a tough game. We staged an excellent performance together for the crowd," said 29-year-old Zhu. "I was really touched when the home fans cheered for us and felt proud of competing for my country in the international events."
The two Chinese players both expressed their hopes for the Paris Olympics next year. "We will definitely make our utmost efforts and expect the best results at the Olympics," Zheng noted.
Jason Jung and Hsu Yu-hsiou of Chinese Taipei upset the second-seeded Indian pair of Saketh Myneni and Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-4, 6-4 to grab the men's doubles gold.
On Saturday, the last tennis competition day, China's Zhang Zhizhen and Japan's Yosuke Watanuki will contend for the men's singles gold, while the women's doubles and mixed doubles titles will also be awarded. ■