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Zheng Qinwen grabbed gold for China at the Paris Olympics on Saturday, holding off Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-3, winning only the second tennis medal for her nation.
January’s Australian Open runner-up spent an hour and three-quarters in dispatching Vekic in the medal final at Roland Garros, earning the first gold medal in tennis for the People’s Republic.
Two decades ago, Li Ting and Sun Tiantian took gold in women’s doubles at Athens.
Olympics 2024 Donna Vekic silver (CRO) Zheng Quinwen (CHN) gold Iga Swiatek (POL) bronze by WTATennis.com
“I never felt so hungry like this, to win one match,” Zheng said.
“I could give everything that I can, but I know tennis doesn’t work like this.
“It’s not that you give everything you can that you get all the time the result you want.”
The 21-year-old Zheng got to the medal match with defeats of Emma Navarro in which the American insulted her winning opponent at the net; Zheng also ended the career of treble Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber, who had decided to retire at these Games.
Croat Vekic, who lost a tearful Wimbledon semi-final less than a month ago, took the silver medal while world No. 1 Iga Swiatek had to be satisfied with bronze after losing a semi-final to Zheng and then defeating Anna Schmiedlova.
Zheng, ranked seventh, won her 11th consecutive match with 14 winners and 20 unforced errors – 10 less than Vekic, who earned Croatia’s first medal in women’s singles.
The new gold medallist admitted the final was a tense affair for her:
“The last point I was really nervous. My hand was shaking actually. Every match when I go to the bathroom, my body is shaking.
“I feel super proud of myself that this time I beat the pressure. I beat my own limit.
“I didn’t know before I was able to go through 5 matches in a row… especially seven hours (on court over) two days.
“I feel here in this tournament I broke through my limit.
“In the future it doesn’t matter how far down I am, I’ll remember this moment and it will cheer me up.”
Main photo:- Olympics 2024 Women’s singles Champion Zheng Quinwen by WTATennis.com
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