Zheng Qinwen Shocks Planet No. 1 Iga Swiatek to Reach Olympic Gold-Medal Suit #.\n\nPARIS, FRANCE-- AUGUST 01: Iga Swiatek of Group Poland reacts following loss versus Qinwen Zheng of People's Commonwealth of China during the Female's Songs Semi-final match on day 6 of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Roland Garros on August 01, 2024 in Paris, France. Photograph through Matthew Stockman\/Getty Images.\n\n\n\n\n\nRising to historical heights, Zheng Qinwen failed on her back and pushed her fist in true bliss.\n\n\n\nEven when she was actually down, Zheng was actually flying higher today.\n\n\n\nEncountering a 0-4 second-set deficiency, Zheng barked with seven of the final 8 activities stunning Polish planet No. 1 Iga Swiatek 6-2, 7-5 in today's Paris Olympics semifinals.\n\n\n\nHaving fun with grace and also power, Zheng made past hitting the gold-medal suit in her Olympic debut.\n\n\n\nThe 21-year-old Zheng is actually the first Chinese gamer to get to an Olympic final and she broke Swiatek's 25-match Roland Garros succeeding streak to accomplish it.\n\n\n\nZheng Qinwen makes history for Chinese ping pong right here at #Paris 2024 #Paris 2024 #Olympics

Tennis pic.twitter.com/TZdi5lPZICu2014 ITF (@ITFTennis) August 1, 2024.
The sixth-seeded Chinese will participate in 13th-seeded Croatian Donna Vekic for the Olympic gold award.
On her second match goal, Wimbledon semifinalist Vekic banged her 6th ace down the T stomping shock Slovakian semifinalist Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-4, 6-0.
A rejuvenated Vekic, who acknowledged she looked at pulling out of Roland Garros and unwinding coming from the game in May, cracked 26 winners against thirteen inaccuracies in a 65-minute rout.
It was actually Vekic's 13th victory in her last 15 matches.
It's been a demanding journey to reach the last and also Zheng has actually shown durability as well as strength in the process.
" That was unexplainable due to the fact that everybody knows exactly how I intend to get this award for my country," Zheng said to Peacock's Britney Eurton subsequently. "Because 2022, I have actually currently been actually hoping for the 2024 Olympic Games. So you can visualize every match I possessed how much pressure I possessed as well as how much sacrifice I needed to accomplish on courtroom-- particularly back to back-- I don't know, perhaps eight hours in three days.
" As well as to defeat the globe No. 1 below-- that boggles the mind. I feel that makes my quest a lot more meaningful due to the fact that I consistently wish to play against the most ideal players and trump them. I consistently think that's what I desire to show for my ping pong.".
Four-time French Open champ Swiatek experienced her 1st loss on Roland Garros' reddish clay-based considering that Maria Sakkari defeated her 6-4, 6-4 in the 2021 Roland Garros quarterfinals.
Because that loss, Swiatek has surged through 25 consecutive triumphes in Paris-- 21 upright Roland Garros victories, featuring three upright Roland Garros championships, and also 4 Olympic wins-- before all of it concerned a sensational conclusion today though the Pole are going to still play for the bronze medal.
Though Swiatek lugged a 6-0 occupation record over Zheng onto courthouse today, the Chinese had actually pressed the Post to three evaluate the 2022 Roland Garros. Today, Zheng drove Swiatek throughout the courtroom at times.
Defeating Swiatek in side operating rallies, Zheng deconstructed the five-time Conquest champion on the Court Philippe Chatrier red clay she regards as her home away from home.