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Aryna Sabalenka has shared her thoughts on facing Zheng Qinwen in the quarterfinals of the French Open. She defeated Amanda Anisimova in straight sets in the fourth round, 7-5, 6-3.
Sabalenka entered Paris after a modest quarterfinal exit in Rome. After cruising past Sofia Kenin and Marta Kostyuk in the initial few rounds, she was eliminated by Zheng Qinwen 6-4, 6-3 in straight sets.
The top seed wished to avenge her loss against Qinwen in the quarterfinals of the French Open. Here's what she said at the prospect of facing the Chinese pro again in Paris:
“It’s always tough matches against her. She’s a great player. Of course, I expect a great battle. I’m super excited to face her in the quarterfinals. I want to get my revenge. Yeah, I want to get this win after Rome. I’m happy to face her in the quarterfinals,” Aryna Sabalenka said in her post-match press conference
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Sabalenka leads the head-to-head against Qinwen 6-1 and lost the first match against her at the Italian Open. She defeated the 22-year-old in the Miami Open quarterfinals earlier this year.
The World No. 1 spoke about her performance in Rome and highlighted being exhausted during the event. She also felt that the slower courts in Italy worked in Qinwen's favor.
“I have to say I was pretty exhausted in Rome. Honestly, I was playing that tournament constantly thinking that I shouldn’t be playing. I needed a little rest before Roland Garros."
"I think maybe because the courts are a little bit slower, so she has a bit more time to prepare her shots. Now I’m fresh [smiling] and ready to go. I’m super excited to face her in the quarterfinals,” Aryna Sabalenka added
The duo will lock horns on clay for the second time on tour. While Qinwen dropped a set in the fourth round against Liudmila Samsonova, Sabalenka has a perfect record at the French Open so far.
Aryna Sabalenka is through to the quarterfinals of the French Open for the third time in her career
Aryna Sabalenka is making her eighth appearance at the French Open this year. She is through to the quarterfinals of the event for the third time in Paris.
Sabalenka made her debut in 2018, where she lost to Kiki Bertens in the first round. The Dutch player defeated her in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1.
The Belarusian reached her maiden quarterfinal in 2023, where she eliminated Elina Svitolina of Ukraine. Her run eventually came to an end at the hands of Karolina Muchova in the last four.
The 27-year-old then secured a quarterfinal berth in 2024, but Mirra Andreeva denied her the win. Despite a resilient effort against the youngster, Andreeva won in a close three-set bout.
Sabalenka has once again reached the last eight in Paris and will hope to pass this stage on Monday. She's chalked up 16 wins out of 18 matches on clay, including a title-winning run in Madrid and a runner-up finish in Stuttgart.
