Trailing 5-0 in the third set against No 22 seed Madison Keys, Qinwen Zheng staged a thrilling comeback by winning the next seven games to secure a 1-6, 7-6, 7-5 victory on Saturday and reach the fourth round of the US Open in New York.
Zheng, the 2024 Olympic gold medalist from China, held serve while trailing 5-0, then saved a match point with Keys serving at 5-1. Zheng broke the 2017 US Open runner-up three times during her seven-game run before serving out the improbable victory in two hours, 28 minutes.
"I'm just telling myself to keep holding every single point, never give up, stay there and somehow, little by little, it just happened," Zheng said in her on-court interview.
In 2024, when she won gold at the Olympics after advancing to the Australian Open final, Zheng was ranked as high as No 4. However, following right elbow surgery, she is at No 121 and had to make it through qualifying just to reach the main draw at the US Open.
"After the surgery, it was not easy," Zheng said. "It felt like I lost a bit of my energy on the tennis court. I've been through really tough [moments] these last three, four, five months.
"But we've been working really hard ... and yeah, the hard work finally paid off a bit. I want to say thanks to my team first for bringing me here. Let's keep going."
Up next for Zheng will be Polish No 8 seed Iga Swiatek, a former world No 1 who defeated No 25 seed Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic 7-6, 7-6 to reach the fourth round.
Zheng wasn't the only player to pull an upset, as No 24 seed Anastasia Potapova took down No 10 Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 7-5 in one hour, 39 minutes.
Potapova shines
Potapova, who was on the verge of falling out of the top 100 this spring, has worked her way back into the top 25 as she advanced to the fourth round of the US Open for the first time.
After breezing through the first set, Potapova was broken twice as Anisimova took the lead, but the Austrian broke back both times en route to the straight-sets victory.
"Well, to be honest, we had tactics before the match, which don't match my game, so it already was not easy," Potapova said in her press conference. "But the way I managed to use the tactics, I think it's one of the best games that I've ever had."
Anisimova, who advanced to the final at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2025 and reached the Australian Open quarterfinals this year, was ousted in the third round of the last three Grand Slams this year. She converted just three of 16 break-point chances, compared to six of eight for Potapova, a native of Russia who now represents Austria.
Potapova will next face Russian No 5 seed Mirra Andreeva, who took out unseeded Czech Nikola Bartunkova 6-2, 7-6.
Other winners Saturday included No 4 seed Coco Gauff, who defeated unseeded Spaniard Cristina Bucsa 6-3, 6-4 to reach the Round of 16 for the fifth consecutive year, and No. 21 seed Anna Kalinskaya of Russia, who defeated Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.
For Gauff, it marks the fifth consecutive year she has reached the second week of the US Open.
"I feel like I'm definitely used to getting the week 2s now, because I feel like I woke up today and I was like, 'oh, we're already in round 3,'" Gauff said in her on-court interview after the match. So I think that's a good sign, just feeling like I'm not feeling tired."
Gauff is also into the last 16 for the 11th time in the past 13 majors and has yet to drop a set at this year's US Open.
"Just enjoying the experiences out here. Obviously, there's a lot of pressure here as an American in trying to do well. Everybody wants to win this tournament, but I think for Americans it's even more special."
Eala goes down fighting
Gauff's next opponent is fellow American Iva Jovic, who battled from a break down in the third set to beat Alexandra Eala in a third-round match that lasted more than three hours. The 14th-seeded Jovic won 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, ending the run of 17th-seeded Eala, the rising star from the Philippines who claimed her first WTA Tour event title at the DC Open in Washington last month.
"That felt like a marathon, and I felt like I lost my sanity five times over to win that match, but it's really worth it for this feeling," Jovic said in her on-court interview. "I'm usually not one that shows that many emotions, but this one really meant a lot to me, so it's everything to have another match here at the US Open."
Also on Saturday night, No 2 seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan eliminated unseeded Yuliia Starodubtseva of Ukraine, 7-6, 6-3. Rybakina powered to 12 aces and converted 4 of her 13 break-point chances. Starodubtseva had one ace and was 2 of 3 on break points.
No 13 seed Naomi Osaka of Japan was extended to three sets before ousting 23rd-seeded Elise Mertens of Belgium, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5. Osaka, a four-time major champion, had more aces (9-3) and fewer double faults (2-5). She was 4 of 16 on break-point opportunities, to 3 of 11 for Mertens.
