Chinese tennis player Zheng Saisai. (Photo : Getty Images)
Zheng Saisai of China completed a dominant straight sets victory over Carina Witthoeft of Germany, 6-1, 6-2, in the first round of the 2016 Australian Open in a match held at Court 8 of the Melbourne Park on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old Zheng joins three other Chinese women's tennis players onward to the second round of competitions after compatriots Wang Qiang defeated USA's Sloane Stephens, Han Xinyun beat Colombia's Mariana Duque, and Zhang Shuai upset world no. 2 Simona Halep of Romania.
Zheng is China's highest ranked player to date at no. 83 in the world and she showed that form against Witthoeft, dominating the German from the first game of the first set until the final rally. The match finished at one hour and 13 minutes only with the first set lasting only 26 minutes.
Xinhuanet noted that it was "the first time the Shaanxi native has been past the first round of a major championship since the 2014 US Open".
Zheng is now set to face the conqueror of 8th seed Venus Williams, Britain's Johanna Konta, in the second round. The current world no. 49 cruised past Williams, 6-4, 6-2, to also advance in the next round, as per Cri English.
"I don't know (if I can go deep into the tournament). Konta is playing really good, if she can beat Venus that means something," said Zheng, who speaks almost fluent English. "It has to be a really tough match."
The two ladies' impending matchup will be their second meeting all-time, with Konta beating Zheng, 6-1, 6-3, in Paris during the first round of the 2013 French Open.
