Zheng Qinwen and Wang Xinyu are fiercely competing today to meet each other, but netizens say they face a bittersweet dilemma.

Following their first-round wins in Doha, the discussion about whether the top two Chinese players will face off in the third round has heated up!

To be precise, compared to Wang Xinyu’s win over Arango, which was fully anticipated, Zheng Qinwen’s ability to advance was somewhat unexpected.

Although many believed before the match that Zheng Qinwen had a good chance of a comeback win against Kenin, who has been in poor form this season, most thought the Chinese top player was likely to be eliminated early after seeing the American’s performance during their match.

Previously, when Kenin lost, fans and netizens often said she lacked focus and seemed to play passively. However, in this match against Zheng Qinwen, she appeared to be motivated by revenge for her 2024 Tokyo final loss, playing every first point of each rally with great seriousness, as if transformed.

Especially after seeing that Zheng Qinwen had no advantage in rallies except for her serve, halfway through the first set many had already written off the Chinese top player, openly saying she was destined to lose if she continued like this.

When Kenin took the first set 6-4 and seized control of the match, Zheng Qinwen’s chances were considered very slim.

However, nobody expected that being pushed to the brink would instead bring out a different Zheng Qinwen, who then won the next two sets 6-1 and 6-2, completing a stunning comeback against the American and earning newfound respect.

After the match, Kenin mentioned in an interview that Zheng Qinwen’s serve frustrated her and completely disrupted her rhythm, saying, “Her serve was so powerful today, I couldn’t handle it at all. Once my mindset collapsed, my chances vanished. Her serve reminded me of peak Serena Williams. She truly deserved to win this match.”

Zheng Qinwen also admitted that her serve played a crucial role in her comeback against Kenin in this match.

After the Chinese top player’s victory, she received another piece of good news: her potential second-round opponent Schneider was upset and eliminated, meaning she will face the American dark horse Parks instead.

Some netizens frankly said that after passing the first round, Zheng Qinwen seems to have caught a streak of good luck. Between Schneider and Parks, the latter is definitely easier to handle, which greatly increases the Chinese top player’s chances of reaching the third round.

However, others pointed out that based on Parks’ near-dominant performance over Schneider, the American is currently in excellent form. Although she is known as a rough player on the tour, if she plays steadily, she can destroy any opponent. After all, Parks debuted with the reputation of being the heir to the queen, Serena Williams.

Looking at their past head-to-head record, Zheng Qinwen and Parks have each won once in two encounters. Who will prevail this time depends largely on their performance on the day.

Whether Zheng Qinwen can get past Parks will start to be revealed from 10:30 PM Beijing time tonight.

If Zheng Qinwen wins, she will wait to face the winner between Wang Xinyu and Rybakina, and whether this golden flower derby will happen depends on Wang Xinyu’s individual performance.

Although overall strength-wise, Wang Xinyu is less strong than the Kazakh beauty, Rybakina revealed in an interview upon arriving in Doha that she has had a cold since winning the Australian Open and has low expectations for her results, indirectly signaling that her current form is average. This might be an opportunity for Wang Xinyu, but it remains to be seen how the second Chinese player will perform.

From the current public reaction, many firmly believe that after the dramatic ups and downs Wang Xinyu experienced in the first round against Arango, she will surely find a way to fix the issue. Moreover, since her doubles with Zheng Saisai also ended in a first-round exit, she can fully focus on battling Rybakina. “The top two Chinese players have a real chance to meet in Doha this new season!”

However, some netizens expressed that while they greatly hope Zheng Qinwen and Wang Xinyu meet in the third round to secure China’s place in the next round of this 1000-level tournament early, they also want to see Zheng Qinwen challenge Rybakina. This sweet dilemma is quite puzzling.

Before defeating Kenin, Zheng Qinwen said she decided to make her comeback in Doha mainly inspired by the outstanding performances of Alcaraz, Djokovic, Sabalenka, and Rybakina at the Australian Open, feeling it was time to try and beat players like Sabalenka and Rybakina.

So, with such confidence in her comeback, the Chinese top player openly set ambitious goals, naturally wanting everyone to see what would happen if Zheng Qinwen faced Rybakina.

Of course, whether Zheng Qinwen and Rybakina meet in the third round depends on both finishing their matches against Parks and Wang Xinyu respectively. The match between the Kazakh beauty and Wang Xinyu will start at 11 PM Beijing time tonight. This battle is crucial, directly deciding whether the golden flower derby will happen as planned or whether Zheng Qinwen’s wish to face Rybakina will be fulfilled!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlit River’s Starry Sky)