Zheng is down to 121st in the world rankings after elbow surgery and was forced to qualify for the US Open, but she is on her way back to the form that made her world number four and Olympic champion in Paris in 2024.
The start of the match against world number eight Swiatek was anything but good, however. Down 0-5 and with set points against her, the Chinese player won seven straight games and took both the set and, later, the match.
In the third round, she did the same thing - but then turned the tables from 0-5 down in the tiebreak against Madison Keys of the US.
It's not just luck, the Chinese player says with a laugh in the on-court interview on HBO Max.
I didn't start very well, but I found my rhythm. I just focused on point by point.
