Zheng Qinwen powerfully advances to the Miami Open round of 16, equaling her personal best performance.

On March 23, Beijing time, Chinese star Zheng Qinwen delivered a dominant performance in the intense third-round women's singles match at the WTA1000 Miami Open, defeating American player Townsend 6-1, 7-6(3) in straight sets to secure her place in the round of 16—and equaling her personal best result at this year's tournament.

Seeded No. 9, Zheng Qinwen received a first-round bye and didn’t make her tournament debut until the second round. Facing Lauren Davis, the American player ranked No. 229 in the world, Zheng Qinwen showcased dominant form, powering through the match in just 1 hour and 17 minutes to secure a convincing 6-1, 7-5 victory. With this commanding performance, she advanced smoothly into the round of 32, kicking off her Miami journey on an impressive note.

Although Townsend, their opponent in the third-round match, is ranked No. 90 in the world, she’s by no means an easy opponent. A formidable doubles specialist, Townsend currently sits second in the world rankings for women’s doubles and is the top-seeded pair in this tournament’s women’s doubles event. Their only previous encounter dates back to 2019, when 16-year-old Zheng Qinwen, playing on a wildcard entry into the Miami qualifying draw, was surprisingly overturned by Townsend in the first round, losing 6-4, 5-7, 4-6. That match also marked Zheng Qinwen’s debut on the WTA Tour level.

Time flies—six years later, Zheng Qinwen is a completely different player from the one we first saw. Right from the start of the match, she quickly found her rhythm, delivering a dominant performance in the opening set. With powerful baseline shots and precise serves, she broke her opponent’s serve twice in quick succession, cruising to a commanding 6-1 victory in just 22 minutes.

In the second set, Townsend adjusted her game and ramped up her offensive firepower, leading to a tightly contested battle between the two players. After both managed to hold their serve games, the match was pushed into a thrilling tie-break. At the critical moment, Zheng Qinwen showcased incredible mental strength, delivering the first mini-break in the tie-break before going on to win four consecutive points. This dominant run gave her a commanding 5-0 lead, ultimately sealing the victory. She closed out the tie-break 7-3, clinching the second set 7-6 and completing a hard-fought comeback against Townsend. With this decisive win, Zheng advanced to the round of 16, avenging her earlier loss to Townsend.

After entering the Sunshine Double tournaments, Zheng Qinwen’s form has been steadily improving. Although she still faces challenges like inconsistent serving and unforced errors during matches, each of her victories has allowed fans to witness her growth and progress. At the recently concluded Indian Wells event, Zheng Qinwen reached the quarterfinals for the first time in her career. Building on this strong momentum, she’s now heading into the Miami tournament, determined to push even higher and pursue greater achievements.