Tennis – Australian Open 2025 – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia – January 15, 2025 China’s Qinwen Zheng appears dejected after shedding her second spherical match in opposition to Germany’s Laura Siegemund REUTERS/Tingshu Wang
Final 12 months’s crushed finalist Zheng Qinwen blamed the dearth of a warm-up occasion and a serve clock violation for her shock Australian Open 2025 exit in straight units to German veteran Laura Siegemund on Wednesday.
China’s Olympic champion nicknamed “Queen Wen” gave an unusually flat efficiency as she bowed out in spherical two in Melbourne.
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She grew to become flustered when she fell foul of the 25-second timer at a vital second within the second set earlier than shedding 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 to the world quantity 97.
Fifth seed Zheng was taking part in simply her second match of 2025, saying “points” after the season-ending WTA Tour Finals had prevented her taking part in in any warm-ups.
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“For me there was no probability to play a event earlier than the Australian Open this 12 months as a result of there have been some points in my physique I didn’t clear up but,” she advised reporters.
She didn’t elaborate on the character of the issue.
Zheng additionally admitted that the shot-clock kerfuffle had “distracted” her.
READ: China hails ‘Queen Wen’, the tennis star who fulfilled a dream
At 2-2, 15-30 within the second set, Zheng acquired a second time violation which price her a primary serve.
She had a prolonged argument with the chair umpire, complaining that she couldn’t see the shot clock, to no avail.
“The clock was on the facet, so I couldn’t see it if I bounce the ball,” defined Zheng. “So I don’t know if I’m late or I’m early.
“I used to be so shocked to get that second (violation). Clearly that one actually distracted me from the match.”
Zheng fully fluffed the next second serve after which double-faulted on break level at hand a vital 3-1 benefit to Siegemund.
It led to a surprising defeat for the 22-year-old, who loved a breakthrough 2024, beating then-number-one Iga Swiatek on her method to profitable Olympic gold in Paris and claiming three WTA titles.
Zheng ended the 12 months at a career-high world quantity 5 after claiming the Pan Pacific Open title in Tokyo.
She reached the championship match on the WTA Tour Finals in Riyadh, the place she was edged solely in a final-set tiebreak by Coco Gauff.
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“I really feel possibly as we speak is just not my day,” stated Zheng. “That’s all I can say. It’s tennis.”.
