MELBOURNE - Chinese tennis star Zheng Qinwen had a scratchy start on Sunday after a prolonged break from tennis before overpowering gritty Romanian qualifier Anca Todoni in straight sets on day one of the Australian Open.
The fifth seed started the first Grand Slam of the year with a 7-6 (3), 6-1 victory in almost two hours. The first-round match was played under the closed roof of Rod Laver Arena due to heavy rain in Melbourne.
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Zheng enjoyed a breakout 2024 season, which included finishing runner-up at the Australian Open and winning the women's singles gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
The 22-year-old has risen to global stardom and emerged as China's leading tennis player. But Zheng had not played since the season-ending WTA Finals in early November when she lost the decider to Coco Gauff.
Zheng withdrew from China's squad at the mixed teams United Cup, prioritizing rest ahead of the Australian Open.
Her rust was evident against 110th-ranked Todoni with a sluggish opening set before showing glimpses of her best to storm into the second round, where she will meet either Laura Siegemund or Hailey Baptiste.
"The first-round match is always not easy, especially that she is playing well," said Zheng, who hit 29 winners. "But I'm happy to get through the match and I found my rhythm."
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It was Zheng's first meeting with 20-year-old Todoni, whose only previous Grand Slam appearance was a second-round finish at last year's Wimbledon.
Having impressively progressed through qualification, Todoni's confidence was evident as she went toe-to-toe with Zheng in a gripping first set.
Zheng appeared to take control by the middle of the set and stepped up her level with a brilliant backhand winner in the seventh game. She moved swiftly around the court and showed deft touch at the net to take a 5-3 lead.
But Zheng blew five set points across the next two games as Todoni fought back impressively to hold serve and the see-saw continued when the Romanian had three set points in the 12th game.
But Zheng served well under pressure to force a tiebreak, which she dominated and clinched with a forehand winner that hit the line.
She claimed an early break in the second set and the physicality took its toll on Todoni, who sought a medical timeout after the third game.
Zheng closed out the match with her eighth ace before pumping a fist and letting out a roar to celebrate her successful start in the tournament.
'70 points' out of 100
Zheng rated her performance only "70 points" out of 100. "If I had taken it at 5-3, I might have given myself 90 points," she said.
Reflecting on her struggles, Zheng said the fluctuations in her performance stemmed from insufficient tension at critical moments rather than nerves.
"I feel really nervous," she said. "I started to feel nervous already since yesterday because I felt a special emotion for the Australian Open. I feel it's one of the biggest tournaments. I really like it here. But when I feel nervous, actually I play better."
Zheng entered the tournament without playing warm-up matches, opting to focus on preparations after her last official match at the WTA Finals in November. Despite the shaky start, she appeared confident moving forward.
"When facing top players, such mistakes can be fatal," Zheng said. "I hope to maintain consistent focus in my next match."
After reaching the finals here last year, Zheng went on to claim gold at the Paris Olympics, win WTA titles in Palermo and Tokyo, and finish as runner-up in her first WTA Finals.
"I feel the tennis court is like one place, it's my dream. It's like where I want to become better. But also I can find my peace outside the tennis court. I love reading, I love singing," she added.
