Chinese player Zheng Qinwen won the women’s match in New York, which dragged on for a record. The match ended at 2:15 in the morning.
Chinese player Zheng Qinwen and Croatian Donna Vekic kept a few hundred spectators in the stands until a record late date for the US Open tennis championship. The duo’s match didn’t end until 2:15 local time on Monday night.
They had played the longest in New York before Maria Sakkari and Bianca Andreescuwhose match lasted until 2:13 a.m. in 2021.
Seventh-ranked Zheng secured his place in the quarterfinals by defeating Vekic 7–6 (7–2), 4–6, 6–2. The match lasted two hours and 50 minutes.
– I like playing in the evening sessions. In New York, I played late at night for the first time, Zheng said.
There was space in the audience, because Arthur Ash 24,000 spectators can fit in the stands of the stadium that bears the same name.
– It’s two o’clock in the morning, unbelievable. Thanks to the fans who stayed to cheer me on, Zheng stated.
Zheng also beat his Croatian opponent at the Paris Olympics about a month ago, and that time the superiority brought the Olympic gold. In New York, he will face the champion favorite next Aryna Sabalenkan. The Belarusian plays in the tournament with a neutral status.