CHINA has won another gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but for the first time in history it has come in the tennis women’s singles. World number seven Qinwen Zheng completed a memorable run to the top place with a strong performance over Croatian Donna Vekic in the final, 6-2 6-3 overnight.

Zheng had to overcome world number one and reigning French Open champion Iga Swiatek in the semi-final to take out the gold, with Swiatek rolling suprise packet Anna Karolina Schmiedlova the day before to secure bronze.

The Chinese sixth seed came in off another title in Palermo, defending her 2023 trophy on the Italian dirt. Now on an 11-game winning streak, Zheng will head to the American hardcourts ahead of the US Open in fantastic form.

In the final, Zheng grabbed an early break and raced out to a 3-0 lead. Vekic had a chance in the seventh game to break break, but the Chinese young gun held strong and thene broke Vekic in an epic eighth game to close out the first set.

The second set was near-identical to start with Zheng breaking Vekic in the second game to go to a 2-0 lead, but instead Vekic broke back and quickly levelled the match at 2-2. However after holding serve in the seventh game, Zheng created four break point opportunities off the Croatian’s serve and made the last one count, going 5-3 up then winning the gold with a forehand winner next game.

Zheng served four aces to one and had a high 74.1 and 61.3 per cent success rate off her first and second serve points respectively. While her first serve efficiency was once against a problkem (44 per cent), Vekic’s was not much better (47) and she was unable to capitalise off the poins she did get in.

At the end of the day, Zheng broke four times to one and hit 12 winners to 10, while having 11 less unforced errors (20-31). The Chinese newly crowed gold medallist also won each of her seven net points, while Vekic won just one of the four when she approached.

Zheng said she had nerves on match point, as to be expected.

“The last point, you know, I’m really nervous, my hand is shaking,” Zheng said post-match. “Every match my body is shaking. “I never felt so hungry. “I beat the pressure. “I beat the limit to myself.”

As for how she was feeling once she achieved it? It meant “everything”.

“Since I was a little kid I wanted to win a gold medal for my country—maybe not gold, just medal,” Zheng said. “I feel so happy to create history. This feeling? Unbelievable.”

WOMEN’S SINGLES RESULTS: GOLD MEDAL MATCH

[6] Qinwen Zheng (CHN) defeated [13] Donna Vekic (CRO) 6-2 6-3

Musetti claims bronze to break Italy’s tennis medal drought

In the other singles match taking place in Parish, Italian 11th seed Lorenzo Musetti grabbed bronze with a victory over Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. Musetti won 6-4 1-6 6-3 across two hours and 15 minutes, bouncing back from a loss to top seed Novak Djokovic to make it onto the medal podium.

Auger-Aliassime served nine aces to Musetti’s two, but the Itlian kept fighting and created a lot of break point opportunities (12 to the Canadian’s four). While both broke three times, Musetti hit 11 less unforced errors (22-33), and only four less winners (11-15) to take out the victory.

The world number 16 won Italy’s first Olympic medal in tennis since 1924, ending an even 100-year drought from the spot. He has been in fgood form of late, winning 22 of 28 matches since entering the French clay and playing through the grasscourt season and will now head back to hardcourt.

MEN’S SINGLES RESULTS: BRONZE MEDAL MATCH

[11] Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) defeated [13] Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) 6-4 1-6 6-3