Wang Xinyu of China plays a forehand at Wimbledon on July 1, 2025 in London, England. Photo: VCG

Chinese women's singles tennis player Wang Xinyu will take on Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey in the second round on Thursday after a straight-set victory over Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova in the first round of the Wimbledon Championships on Tuesday in London. 

The 23-year-old Wang continued her good form from the Berlin Open, where she reached her first WTA Tour final by defeating four top-20 players in a row.

Reflecting on the match, Wang said, "My opponent's slicing and net play are among her strengths, and at times I had to raise my level to deal with her. I played aggressively throughout, and my serves were relatively smooth." 

Having previously practiced with Sonmez on grass, Wang, who is currently world No.32 in the WTA rankings, said that she will give it her all in the second round and bring ­everyone another exciting match. 

Meanwhile, fifth seed Zheng Qinwen was upset by Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic 7-5, 4-6, 6-1. It was her third consecutive first-round exit at the grass-court Grand Slam.

Facing a doubles specialist on a grass court, Zheng's failure was not a collapse, but a reflection of a stylistic mismatch and underdeveloped grass skills, Liu Yu, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Grass courts demand quicker decision-making, lower shots, and excellent footwork - all areas where Zheng, a powerful baseline player, has shown room for improvement, Liu noted. 

Zheng's opponent disrupted the Chinese athlete's rhythm with her slice backhands. She rushed to the net frequently and attacked Zheng's second serve while Zheng struggled to imposed her baseline game. However, with the hard-court season on the horizon, Zheng has a chance to regroup and bounce back, said Liu.

Zheng, who is currently world No.6, admitted that she "couldn't find a way to win." 

She said after the game that she felt the ball bounced differently compared to the practice courts, which took some time to adjust to. However, she emphasized that this was no excuse for her loss. 

"When leading 5-3 in the first set, I lost focus. I should have done better during my serves - especially in the third set, where I gave her too many easy points on my own serves," said the 22-year-old. 

Despite the defeat, the Olympic champion said she gained valuable experience and is now even more determined to keep improving on grass.

Zheng is one of the eight top 10 seeds in the men's and women's singles who crashed out of the first round at Wimbledon, which marks the highest tally in the opening round of any Grand Slam event in the Open era. 

The early exits include French Open champion Coco Gauff, No.3 seed Jessica Pegula and men's third seed Alexander Zverev.

Wimbledon's official Sina Weibo account also posted messages in support of Zheng.

"Not all flowers have to bloom in the same season. See you next summer. Looking forward to seeing a stronger you return to the grass court next year," read one post.