Sabalenka bluntly said that she was vindictive: she vowed to defeat Zheng Qinwen at the French Open

Sabalenka defeated Anisimova in straight sets 7-5 6-3 in the fourth round of the French Open to advance to the quarter-finals, where she will face China's Zheng Qinwen in the quarter-finals.

Prior to this encounter, Sabalenka had lost five of their seven meetings with Anisimova. In addition, one of those defeats came at Roland Garros in 2019, when Anisimova reached the semifinals.

But this time, Sabalenka showed the dominance of the world number one, winning the match after 1 hour and 32 minutes. Speaking at her post-match press conference, Sabalenka said: "I'm very happy with this victory, especially the straight three-set win over Amanda. We've had a lot of good fights in the past. ”

Once upon a time, stability was not Sabalenka's trademark. But now, Sabalenka is the first woman since Serena Williams (2014-2017) to reach the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam in 10 consecutive times. Since 2021, she has reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam 12 times, a statistic second only to Djokovic in the same period.

The world No. 1 made it to the quarterfinals in Rome before coming to Paris. Previously, she had comfortably beaten Kenin and Kostyuk, but suffered an upset in the quarter-finals with a 4-6 3-6 defeat to Zheng Qinwen.

As for the upcoming reunion of Zheng Qinwen at the French Open, Sabalenka said she is eager to get revenge in this match. Speaking in her post-match press conference, she said: "It's always tough to play against her. She's a very good player. I certainly expected it to be an uphill battle. I'm really looking forward to playing her in the quarter-finals and I want revenge. Yes, I hope to get this win after Roma. I was so happy to meet her in the quarter-finals. ”

Despite losing their first clay-court meeting at the Italian Open, Sabalenka currently holds a 6-1 record against Zheng Qinwen. Earlier this year, she defeated the 22-year-old Chinese in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open.

Speaking about the defeat at Roma, Sabalenka admitted that she was tired and felt that she should not have competed. She also pointed out that Rome's venue is slow, which is conducive to Zheng Qinwen's performance: "To be honest, I was really tired in Rome. I was thinking, 'I shouldn't be here to fight, I need to take a break in front of Roland Garros.' I think it might be because the court is slower in Rome and she has more time to prepare for her shots. Now I'm back (laughs) and I'm ready. I'm really looking forward to the quarter-finals. ”

This will be their second meeting on clay. In contrast, Zheng Qinwen dropped a set against Samsonova in the fourth round, while Sabalenka has not dropped a set at this French Open and is in good form.

This is Sabalenka's eighth appearance at the French Open, and she has reached the quarterfinals of the French Open for the third time. Sabalenka made her debut in 2018 when she was beaten in the first round by Dutchman Bertens. It wasn't until 2023 that she reached the quarterfinals of the French Open for the first time, beating Ukraine's Svitolina at the time, but losing to Mukhova in the semifinals.

In 2024, Sabalenka reached the quarterfinals again, but was defeated in a thrilling three-set battle with rising star Andreeva. She reached the quarterfinals of the French Open for the third time this year and will be keen to make a breakthrough on Tuesday.

Sabalenka has been in excellent form on clay this season, winning 16 of 18 fights, winning Madrid and finishing runners-up in Stuttgart.(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)