Zheng beats compatriot Shi in China Open first round

Zheng Qinwen attends the press conference after the women's singles first round match between Zheng Qinwen of China and Shi Han of China at 2026 China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, China, Oct. 1, 2026. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

BEIJING, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- Home favorite Zheng Qinwen beat qualifier Shi Han 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-2 in an all-Chinese clash in the women's singles first round of the China Open on China's National Day.

In the first set, the 21-year-old Shi saved four set points in the tiebreak before Zheng eventually prevailed.

Shi responded by taking the second set to force a decider, but Zheng regained control in the third to secure the victory.

Starting her home campaign after a quarterfinal finish at the US Open, Zheng said, "Shi is a player with strong returns from baseline. I lost several serves and had my mindset slightly affected in the second set, while I did better in the third set."

Zheng will face 15th seed Anna Kalinskaya in the second round.

Speaking of the upcoming match, Zheng said, "I want to play my own tennis without aiming for any specific result. Only with a good process can we get a good ending."

"It's a Chinese derby today, this is the home court for both of us. I'm quite looking forward to the next round, where I face a foreign player. It will really become my home court then," she added. ■