Zheng won just 33 percent of points on her second serve, and 33 percent of her points while returning Sabalenka’s serve. In the second set, she appeared to lash out at her coaching team as she pointed her racquet in their direction, but even venting didn’t help.
The rematch of the Australian Open final, in other words, was a dud. Zheng may have been tired from a 2:00 A.M. finish in her last match, or her busy Olympic summer—she flew to China to meet with Xi Jinping right before the Open—may finally have caught up with her.
Sabalenka won 6-1, 6-2 in 73 minutes, and, while Zheng was unusually bad, Sabalenka was as dominant as she has been since the start of Cincinnati. She’s still the No. 2 seed, but still looks like the favorite to me.
