Zheng Qinwen described her US Open third-round comeback win over Madison Keys as a “very dramatic match” – but that is somewhat of an understatement.
The Olympic champion, who had to come through qualifying to reach the main draw, found herself 5-0 and match point down in the third set against Keys.
But Zheng held firm and reeled off seven games in a row to secure a remarkable 1-6 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 victory over the 22nd seed and crowd favourite.
Keys, who won the 2025 Australian Open, appeared to be cruising towards a commanding victory after wrapping up the opening set in just 23 minutes.
But Zheng, who is rebuilding her career after undergoing elbow surgery last year, rallied, clinching it on a tie-break before snatching victory from the jaws of defeat against the American.
Zheng threw herself to the floor in relief and reflected afterwards on a difficult 12 months in which she has questioned if she will rediscover her form.
“Finally, a bit of luck is on my side,” the 23-year-old said.
“I am just telling myself ever give up. Somehow, little by little, it’s just happened.
“Tennis sometimes feels like rollercoaster. You see many times people have a match point, but at the end we made a comeback.”
The Chinese star is the first qualifier to reach the women’s fourth round at the US Open since Britain’s Emma Raducanu, who went on to win the 2021 title.