Zheng Qinwen celebrates after winning the women's singles quarterfinal match between Zheng Qinwen of China and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the WTA Italian Open in Rome, Italy, May 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Jing)

ROME, May 14 (Xinhua) -- China's Zheng Qinwen claimed a straight-sets victory over top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals of the WTA Italian Open on Wednesday, reaching the semifinals of a WTA 1000 event for the third time in her career.

The two players had met six times previously, with Sabalenka winning on each occasion. This match marked their first encounter on clay.

In the opening set, both players held serve through the first three games, with Sabalenka leading 2-1. In the fourth game, Zheng saved two break points to hold, and then won four consecutive points in the fifth game to score a crucial break. Over the next four games, both players held serve, leaving Zheng ahead 5-4. In the 10th game, Zheng fired down two aces and took the set 6-4.

In the second set, Zheng carried her momentum forward, breaking serve in the first game and then reeling off four straight points to take the second game. The following four games saw both players hold, with Zheng maintaining a 4-2 lead. Sabalenka saved four break points in the seventh game to narrow the gap, but Zheng stayed strong, holding serve and then breaking again to close out the match 6-3, reaching the semifinals in Rome for the first time.

"Finally, I broke through! I've always known I have the ability to beat anyone, and I'm really happy that I truly did it today," said Zheng after the match.

Zheng gave herself a score of 7.5 for her performance. "I think I did well at the start, and I told myself I couldn't lose those opening games so easily like before. When the match enters a tighter phase, I feel it's more to my advantage, because actually, I'm better than her at playing long rallies. When the match goes into a three or four-shot exchange, statistically, I have the edge," Zheng reflected.

In this match, Zheng's first-serve points won percentage reached a remarkable 82 percent, which became a decisive factor in her victory. "Today, one thing I did really well was that my first serve was there in the crucial moments, and I also controlled my unforced errors very well," she said.

"When I played against her before, maybe because she had the title of world number one and a Grand Slam champion, and also because when I was a teenager, I used to watch her play, so I couldn't properly read the situation," Zheng said. "In the first three matches against her, I felt really frustrated, because I only showed about 30 or 40 percent of my ability. When I stripped away the aura around her, I was able to see the match situation clearly and focus on attacking her weaknesses instead of trying to go head-to-head with her strengths."

In the semifinals, Zheng will face fourth seed Coco Gauff. ■

Zheng Qinwen serves during the women's singles quarterfinal match between Zheng Qinwen of China and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the WTA Italian Open in Rome, Italy, May 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Jing)

Zheng Qinwen reacts before the women's singles quarterfinal match between Zheng Qinwen of China and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the WTA Italian Open in Rome, Italy, May 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Jing)

Zheng Qinwen celebrates after winning the women's singles quarterfinal match between Zheng Qinwen of China and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the WTA Italian Open in Rome, Italy, May 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Jing)

Zheng Qinwen celebrates after winning the women's singles quarterfinal match between Zheng Qinwen of China and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the WTA Italian Open in Rome, Italy, May 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Jing)

Zheng Qinwen returns a shot during the women's singles quarterfinal match between Zheng Qinwen of China and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the WTA Italian Open in Rome, Italy, May 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Jing)

Aryna Sabalenka returns a shot during the women's singles quarterfinal match between Zheng Qinwen of China and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the WTA Italian Open in Rome, Italy, May 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Jing)

Zheng Qinwen celebrates after winning the women's singles quarterfinal match between Zheng Qinwen of China and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the WTA Italian Open in Rome, Italy, May 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Jing)

Aryna Sabalenka serves during the women's singles quarterfinal match between Zheng Qinwen of China and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the WTA Italian Open in Rome, Italy, May 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Jing)

Zheng Qinwen returns a shot during the women's singles quarterfinal match between Zheng Qinwen of China and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the WTA Italian Open in Rome, Italy, May 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Jing)

Zheng Qinwen celebrates after winning the women's singles quarterfinal match between Zheng Qinwen of China and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the WTA Italian Open in Rome, Italy, May 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Jing)

Aryna Sabalenka serves during the women's singles quarterfinal match between Zheng Qinwen of China and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the WTA Italian Open in Rome, Italy, May 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Jing)

Zheng Qinwen returns a shot during the women's singles quarterfinal match between Zheng Qinwen of China and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the WTA Italian Open in Rome, Italy, May 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Jing)

Zheng Qinwen (R) shake hands with Aryna Sabalenka after the women's singles quarterfinal match between Zheng Qinwen of China and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the WTA Italian Open in Rome, Italy, May 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Jing)