The Australian Open witnessed a major upset as fifth seed Zheng Qinwen suffered a surprising defeat at the hands of 36-year-old German veteran Andrea Petkovic. This unexpected loss marks Zheng as the highest-seeded player to exit the tournament thus far. Petkovic’s victory with a scoreline of 7-6, 6-3 propelled her into the third round Down Under for only the third time in her career. The match was fraught with controversy as Zheng received two time violations, which she claimed disrupted her focus.
During the match, Zheng was penalized for time violations while serving at 1-2, 15-30. She expressed her frustration, stating she could not see the clock from her angle on the court.
"From my angle, the time was on the side, so I couldn’t see if I bounced the ball, I couldn’t catch the time, so I didn’t know if I was late or early," said Zheng Qinwen.
She revealed that receiving a second serve after the violation was an unprecedented experience for her.
"I was so surprised to get that second serve (after the violation), it’s never happened to me before," Zheng added.
The disturbance seemed to have affected her game significantly.
"That one really distracted me from the match. It’s the first time I’ve had this situation with a time violation. This is my fourth year on the tour and it had never happened to me," Zheng commented.
Reflecting on her performance, Zheng remarked:
"Not much to say because I tried to do what I can during this match, but I feel maybe today is not my day."
Meanwhile, Casper Ruud became the highest-ranked male player to be ousted from the men's draw. His elimination added another layer of unpredictability to this year’s tournament. In contrast, Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, showcased resilience by overcoming Spain's Jéssica Bouzas. Despite trailing 2-5 in the second set, Sabalenka managed to secure a 6-3, 7-5 victory.
Naomi Osaka also demonstrated determination as she rallied from a set down to defeat 20th seed Karolína Muchová with a 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 scoreline. On the other hand, Coco Gauff displayed dominance by easing past Great Britain's Jodie Burrage 6-3, 7-5.
Adding to the drama of the tournament, Czech teenager Jakub Menšík continues to make waves. Known for his impressive record against top-10 opponents, Menšík has triumphed in five of his last seven such matches, according to tennis.com.
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