China's Zheng Qinwen defeats world No.1 Sabalenka for the first time to reach semifinals of the Italian Open. Photo: VCG

China's tennis ace Zheng Qinwen defeated top seed Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets on Wednesday in Italy to reach the semifinals of a WTA 1000 event for the third time in her career. This victory also marked Zheng's first-ever win over Sabalenka, who had won all six of their previous encounters. This was their first meeting on clay.

"Finally, I broke through! I've always known I have the ability to beat anyone, and I'm really happy that I truly did it today," said Zheng after the match.

"Overall, Zheng performed well and seemed to have regained her confidence in this match," Pan Shouhu, a former coach with the Chinese Tennis Association and a national second-level athlete, told the Global Times on Thursday.

"For Zheng, maintaining her current form - especially the boost in confidence - is absolutely crucial," he emphasized. 

"At a high level of competition, confidence often matters more than technique. If she plays her game, Zheng is fully capable of handling any challenge."

In the first three games of the opening set, both players held serve, with Sabalenka leading 2-1. Zheng saved two break points in the fourth game to hold serve, then broke Sabalenka at love in the fifth game. The two players traded holds over the next four games, with Zheng leading 5-4. In the 10th game, Zheng fired two aces and closed the set at 6-4.

In the second set, Zheng kept up the momentum by breaking Sabalenka's serve in the opening game and then winning the second game with four straight points. Over the next four games, both players held serve, with Zheng maintaining a 4-2 lead. Sabalenka fought hard to hold in the seventh game, saving four break points to stay in the match, but Zheng remained composed and sealed the victory 6-3 with a hold and a final break.

"When I played against her before, maybe because she had the title of world number one and a Grand Slam champion, and also because when I was a teenager, I used to watch her play, so I couldn't properly read the situation," Zheng said. 

"In the first three matches against her, I felt really frustrated, because I only showed about 30 or 40 percent of my ability.  When I stripped away the aura around her, I was able to see the match situation clearly and focus on attacking her weaknesses instead of trying to go head-to-head with her strengths." 

Zheng said it was only after removing the "halo" around her opponent that she could assess the situation more clearly and exploit Sabalenka's weaknesses to her advantage.

Zheng Qinwen celebrates victory over Aryna Sabalenka at the WTA Italian Open in Rome, Italy, on May 14, 2025. Photo: VCG

Pan pointed out that Zheng has relatively extensive experience on clay courts and a more mature sense of match rhythm, which was one of the key factors in her victory.

Zheng will next face world No.3, US star Coco Gauff. The 21-year-old American, who cruised past Britain's Emma Raducanu on Monday, continued her strong clay court form with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) win over seventh seed Mirra Andreeva.

Former French Open finalist Gauff is guaranteed to become the new No.2 in the world rankings, overtaking Iga Swiatek, after hitting a rich vein of form on clay to win nine of her past 10 matches.

This semifinal will be a clash of speed and power. If Zheng can maintain her current form, she has a good chance of keeping alive her hope of winning her first WTA 1000  singles title.

At the WTA Finals in 2024, Zheng fought a tough three-set match but narrowly lost to Gauff, finishing as the runner-up.

Beijing-based sports commentator Liu Yu told the Global Times on Thursday that both players have maintained strong form throughout this season on clay.

"Zheng has taken down several top opponents in Rome, and her control of tempo and movement on clay adds layers of unpredictability to her match against Gauff," he said. 

"On the other hand, Gauff has also demonstrated impressive consistency from the baseline and quick adaptability, giving her a solid winning rate on clay."

Liu said the match will hinge on two key aspects: first, which player can shift gears more efficiently between offense and defense during long rallies; second, who can stay more composed and score steadily in the decisive moments.

"Mentally, Zheng is no longer the newcomer she once was. She's been tempered by high-level competitions and is showing growing confidence and maturity," he said.