Olympic tennis: China’s Zheng Qinwen and Croatia’s Donna Vekic to meet for the women’s singles gold

PARIS (AP) — Either China or Croatia will earn its first singles gold medal in Olympic tennis when Zheng Qinwen faces Donna Vekic in the Paris Games women’s final on Saturday.

This would be the biggest title for both players: Neither Zheng nor Vekic has won a Grand Slam trophy.

“I always wanted to be one of the athletes who can get a medal for China, for our country, and right now I’m one of them,” Zheng said after eliminating No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland in the semifinals on Thursday. “But I know the fight is not over; it’s not the end.”

That stopped Swiatek’s 25-match winning streak at Roland Garros, which hosts the annual French Open and is the site of the clay courts being used for tennis during these Summer Games. Four of Swiatek’s five major championships came at the French Open.

Vekic also has gotten past past major title winners along the way to guaranteeing herself a medal. She beat 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu of Canada in the second round and reigning U.S. Open champ Coco Gauff of the United States in the third round.

“It’s been my goal since I started playing tennis. It’s been my biggest goal for this year,” Vekic said about Olympic success after her semifinal win against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia. “And to have a medal — I have truly no words.”

Here is what else to know about Zheng vs. Vekic:

Is Zheng Qinwen or Donna Vekic the betting favorite for the tennis gold?

Zheng is favored to win the women’s singles final, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, which lists her with a -250 money line. Vekic is at +200. If Vekic not only pulls off the upset but does so in straight sets, that would pay +375.

How to watch Zheng Qinwen vs. Donna Vekic for the women’s tennis gold

The women’s final is scheduled to be the third match at Court Philippe Chatrier on Saturday and won’t start before 3:30 p.m. local time (9:30 EDT). It will be shown on USA Network and streaming on Peacock.

What to know about Zheng Qinwen

Zheng is a 21-year-old from China who is ranked No. 7 and was the runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka at the hard-court Australian Open in January. She plays an aggressive style of tennis that sometimes results in too many mistakes, but she was more patient while defeating Swiatek.

Her run to the final also included victories over three-time major champion and former No. 1 Angelique Kerber and American Emma Navarro, both in three sets after dropping the first in a tiebreaker.

“I feel if, right now, you ask me to fight for my country another three hours, I could do it,” Zheng said. “So I know in this final, I’m just going to give everything I have.”

She is 29-12 this season with one title, which came on clay in Italy last month. She has three singles titles in her career, a best ranking of No. 6 and more than $4.5 million in prize money.

What to know about Donna Vekic

Vekic is a 28-year-old from Croatia who is ranked No. 21. Her best Grand Slam showing was a run to the final four on the grass courts at Wimbledon last month before losing to eventual runner-up Jasmine Paolini in that tournament’s longest women’s semifinal on record.

Vekic nearly quit tennis in 2021 after knee surgery but stuck with it.

Her game is based on a big serve and powerful forehand, traits that tend to work best on faster surfaces such as hard or grass courts. She was superb against Gauff, barely eked past Marta Kostyuk in a third-set tiebreaker in the quarterfinals, then dominated in a 6-4, 6-0 win over Schmiedlova on Thursday.

“I was so nervous. At times, I just wanted to disappear from the court. I didn’t want to be out there,” Vekic said about her semifinal. “When you’re playing for a medal, it’s different than any other (event). I was even more nervous than semis of Wimbledon. I’m so relieved that I won.”

She is 27-15 without a singles title in 2024. For her career, she has four trophies, has been ranked as high as No. 19 and earned more than $8 million in prize money.

Have Zheng Qinwen and Donna Vekic played each other before?

They have met twice previously, with each winning once. Vekic won in straight sets in 2021 at a lower-level event on an indoor court in Italy; Zheng needed three sets to win in 2023 at a tournament in China.

“When I saw that Iga lost (Thursday), I was like, ‘Oh, I better win my match, because it would have been tough tomorrow.’ But Qinwen is playing great tennis,” Vekic said. “It’s going to be a tough match.”

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games