Zheng Qinwen Rallies Past Madison Keys Into US Open Last 16

Zheng Qinwen produced a dramatic comeback to defeat Madison Keys 1-6, 7-6 (7/3), 7-5 on Saturday and move into the fourth round of the US Open. The Paris Olympics gold medallist won the final seven games of the match after Keys had built a commanding 5-0 lead in the deciding set.

The victory sends Zheng, ranked 121st in the world after a lengthy recovery from an elbow injury, into the last 16 at Flushing Meadows. She will next face either six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek or Czech player Marie Bouzkova for a place in the quarter-finals.

Keys dominates early before Zheng finds a way back

Keys made a rapid start, taking the opening set 6-1 in only 23 minutes. The former Australian Open champion did not face a break point in the set and lost only five points on her serve, establishing a clear advantage over Zheng from the outset.

After that one-sided opening set, Zheng found more rhythm in the second. The set remained tight, with a late exchange of breaks taking it into a tiebreaker. Zheng then won the final three points of the breaker to claim it 7/3 and force the match into a third set.

That second-set recovery was significant, but the momentum again appeared to turn strongly toward Keys in the decider. Keys secured an early break and then broke Zheng again for a 4-0 lead in a game in which Zheng had led 40-0. Keys held serve for 5-0, leaving Zheng with little room for error.

Zheng nevertheless extended the contest and began a remarkable late run. She saved match point at 5-1, then continued to close the gap game by game. From 5-0 down, Zheng won the last seven games to complete the three-set win, taking the final set 7-5.

Fourth-round place awaits after a seven-game finish

The finish underlined the scale of Zheng’s recovery in a match that had swung heavily in Keys’ favour more than once. Keys had controlled the first set, while her 5-0 lead in the third put her on the brink of ending the contest. Zheng’s response, beginning with the saved match point at 5-1, changed the outcome completely.

For Zheng, the result carries her into the US Open fourth round after coming through qualifying. Her ranking had fallen during her recovery from an elbow injury, but she now has an opportunity to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament.

Keys entered the match with major championship pedigree of her own. She is a former Australian Open champion and was runner-up at Flushing Meadows in 2017. Her early level and final-set lead placed Zheng under sustained pressure, yet Zheng emerged with the 1-6, 7-6 (7/3), 7-5 victory.

The next opponent will be determined by the meeting between Swiatek and Bouzkova. Zheng will take on one of those players with a US Open quarter-final berth at stake, following one of the most striking comebacks of the tournament so far.