Victory arrives, albeit delayed! Zheng Qinwen advances in debut match, clash with Keys scheduled and deemed a true challenge.

Following Zheng Qinwen's contest with former US Open champion Stephens, the triumph for China's tennis team, while tardy, finally came.

After Bu Yunchaokete, Huang Zelin, Yuan Yue, Zhang Zhizhen, Zhang Shuai, Wu Yibing, and Wang Xinyu suffered consecutive losses from qualifying rounds to the main draw, this seven-match losing streak evoked a deep chill of concern. The question lingered whether Zheng Qinwen, the last remaining singles hope, could end this awkward streak and bring a long-awaited victory for China's tennis squad in Miami.

External concerns about Zheng Qinwen stemmed not only from her elbow injury disclosed after her Indian Wells exit and her ongoing search for match rhythm, but also from her first hard-court encounter with the American player and the latter's formidable threat on hard surfaces. Moreover, Miami serves as Stephens' home turf, granting her absolute natural advantage, making worries about Zheng Qinwen quite understandable.

However, when this duel lasting 1 hour and 19 minutes concluded, many breathed a sigh of relief for Zheng Qinwen's smooth passage, unexpectedly propelling the term "once" into popularity.

Before this spotlight match commenced, considering Stephens had already played a match while Zheng Qinwen was making her first appearance, and the match was postponed a day due to rain, some feared Zheng might follow the footsteps of Wang Xinyu and others, repeating the tragedy where no Chinese player advanced past their main draw debut in Indian Wells.

Particularly when Zheng Qinwen suffered a break first in the fifth game of the opening set, such concerns intensified. Fortunately, Zheng quickly retaliated with a break in the sixth game, and Stephens, perceived as a dangerous opponent beforehand, instantly lost her edge. Zheng Qinwen seized three consecutive games to claim the first set 6-3.

In the second set, Zheng Qinwen completely dismantled the former US Open champion, starting with a 4-0 blast against Stephens, ultimately concluding the battle 6-2. This halted China's tennis team's seven-match losing streak in singles and prevented Zheng's own back-to-back first-round exits in the North American Sunshine Double tournaments.

With this victory over Stephens, the position of China's top female player swiftly shifted again. Zheng Qinwen, gaining 65 ranking points, surpassed Wang Xinyy in rankings, reclaiming the throne as the number one.

However, the current point gap between them is narrow, only 20 points. This implies Zheng Qinwen must advance further in Miami to firmly secure the regained top spot; otherwise, she remains susceptible to being overtaken by Wang Xinyu.

Post-match discussions on Zheng Qinwen's performance sparked amusing remarks from fans and netizens.

Some remarked that before the match, they thought Stephens was formidable on hard courts, but after facing Zheng, they realized her prime era is truly past. Now, Zheng Qinwen dominating this 33-year-old American star seemed almost effortless, winning comfortably, and they foresee Zheng progressing deeper in Miami.

Others pointed out that while Zheng Qinwen's win over Stephens is joyous, it doesn't fully reflect her current true form and level. The reason: Stephens' perceived prowess lingered in "past glory"; her previous win over Brady relied heavily on opponent's erratic errors. Against Zheng, her form was poor, plagued by constant mistakes, explaining her ranking plunge to No.717. Zheng's winning performance was merely average, appearing slightly better than Stephens.

Whether Zheng Qinwen granting Stephens three consecutive losses involves some luck, her third-round encounter with American star Keys will be her optimal chance to prove herself thoroughly. This upcoming spotlight match is deemed a genuine test for Zheng and an assessment of her current actual level.

From Keys' swift 6-0, 6-3 dismissal of Rusé, the American star's form appears quite strong. If Zheng Qinwen can defeat Keys then, it would likely dispel many doubts about her capabilities.

Currently, Zheng Qinwen and Keys' match time is confirmed: they will compete for a Miami 1000 tournament quarterfinal spot at 4:30 AM Beijing time on March 23.

In head-to-head records, Zheng Qinwen trails 0-1, making this match viewed externally as a revenge battle for China's top female player.

Based on Zheng Qinwen's performance against Stephens, to avoid a second-round exit in Miami, she must enhance her first-serve success rate and maintain steadier play. Otherwise, Keys might indirectly avenge her compatriot Stephens, potentially leading to China's tennis squad's complete elimination in Miami singles.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moon River's Sky)