Olympic champion Zheng powers into French Open third round

Chinese sensation Zheng Qinwen beat Emiliana Arango of Colombia 6-2, 6-3 in the women's singles second round of the French Open on Wednesday.

Emiliana Arango returns a shot during the women's singles 2nd round match between Zheng Qinwen of China and Emiliana Arango of Colombia at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros, Paris, France, May 28, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

Olympic champion Zheng took an upper hand throughout the match and didn't give the 24-year-old Arango many chances to bounce back.

"She [Arango] had great defense skills. When I saw the short ball, I got to go to the net to finish the point whatever happened. I feel if we stayed in the baseline, she could put all the balls back, which was a difficult match. I am really happy with my performance," Zheng said after the match.

Zhena recalled a sweet memory at Roland Garros, as she triumphed in the women's singles at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. "Even myself, I got a lot of inspiration from last year. When I am in difficult moments, I always remember to keep fighting. I really love the French crowd. I would like to play more matches here," the 22-year-old added.

In the third round, Zheng will confront Canadian player Victoria Mboko who just defeated Germany's Eva Lys in straight sets 6-4, 6-4.