US Open 2024: Olympic gold medalist Zheng rallies to win her first-round match

NEW YORK (AP) — Zheng Qinwen, the Olympic gold medalist in women’s tennis, rallied to stay in the U.S. Open on Monday with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Amanda Anisimova.

Zheng began the Grand Slam season by reaching the final of the Australian Open. She had a difficult assignment to start the year’s final major in Anisimova, an American who earlier this month reached the final of a hard-court warmup tournament in Montreal and returned to the top 50 of the WTA rankings.

But the No. 7 seed from China solved Anisimova’s power as the match went on to move into the second round as she turns her attention back to the Grand Slams after becoming China’s first singles gold medalist at the Paris Olympics.

“I’m happy about what I did in the past, but right now I just want to focus here,” Zheng said.

Maria Sakkari, the No. 9 seed from Greece, became the first seeded player to be eliminated when she stopped playing after losing the first set against China’s Wang Yafan. Sakkari, who also lost in the first round last year at Flushing Meadows, received treatment on her shoulder in the first set.

Defending champions Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic were among the big names later on the Day 1 schedule.

Gauff faces Varvara Gracheva in Arthur Ashe Stadium in the afternoon, and Djokovic plays Radu Albot in the last match in the main stadium at night.

Others in action include 2023 runner-up Aryna Sabalenka and Americans Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz.

Both No. 1 seeds, Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner, are slated to play their first-round matches on Tuesday.

Sinner has been the center of attention since news emerged last week that he tested positive for steroids twice in March but avoided a suspension.