Zheng’s 7-5, 6-0 win means she has set up a quarter-final clash in the Japanese capital with Leylah Fernandez.

This will take place just two weeks after they played one another in the last 16 at the Wuhan Open, and it was a feisty affair.

What did Qinwen Zheng say about facing Leylah Fernandez at the Japan Open?

Qinwen Zheng dropped just four points behind her first serve during her first ever meeting against Moyuka Uchijima.

She also won 50% of her second serve points as the Olympic champion began her Japan Open campaign with a straight sets win.

She is now ready to face Fernandez once again, following the heated clash at the Wuhan Open. “I’ll try and give my best and let’s see,” Zheng said of her next opponent.

“Next round I play against a great opponent. I just played against her in Wuhan and it was a tough match, so I just have to fight.”

She added: “I think she’s a really good player, and she has a different game style compared to the others. She takes the ball really early, so you don’t have too much time between the shots.

“You always have to be alert, and it’s not easy to play against her. But next time I will be on my best, like what I did last time.”

During the first set of their Wuhan match, Zheng, who was playing at the end of the court where Fernandez’s team was sitting, turned to the Canadian’s father and asked if he could keep his voice down, after claiming he was talking before she was due to return serve.

This caught Fernandez’s attention and she asked Zheng to “be respectful”. Zheng lost the first set but completed the comeback to win 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 and beat Fernandez for the first time.

How many times has Qinwen Zheng played Leylah Fernandez?

Zheng has played Fernandez on three occasions, and claimed her first victory against the Canadian in Wuhan.

But the 2021 US Open runner-up secured her first win against Zheng at the 2022 Monterrey Open.

Fernandez won 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(3) and she went on to win the first championship of her career.

Their second meeting came at the Doha Open in February, and Fernandez registered a 7-5, 6-3 win, which was an upset given Zheng was seeded fifth in that tournament.

The World number seven will have a golden opportunity to level their head-to-head rivalry when they square off at the Japan Open on Friday.

Related Posts