Zheng Secures US Open Quarter-Finals Spot in Early Morning Marathon.

Posted 1 months ago

China's Zheng Qinwen advanced to the US Open quarter-finals at 2:15am on Monday, marking the latest finish ever for a women's match at the tournament.

Seventh-seed Zheng Qinwen defeated Croatia's Donna Vekic 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 6-2, setting a new record for the latest finish in a women’s match at the US Open, surpassing the previous 2:13am record from 2021.

Zheng, who recently won Olympic gold in Paris, will now face world number two Aryna Sabalenka on Tuesday.

The late finish sparked criticism from 2012 US Open champion Andy Murray, who called the scheduling "amateurish" and urged the organizers to address the issue.

After the match, Zheng expressed her enjoyment of the night session, saying, "It's incredible to play at 2am, and I’m grateful to the fans who stayed to support me."

Late finishes at recent Grand Slams, including the French Open and Australian Open, have also faced player backlash.

In response, the ATP and WTA Tours introduced a rule in January that no matches can start after 11pm.