In the first round of the new season's Australian Open women's singles, the fifth-seeded Zheng Qinwen refused to be eliminated in the first round and eventually defeated qualifier Todoni in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 6-1, advancing to at least the second round for the fourth consecutive year.
After the match, Zheng Qinwen talked about her feelings after winning the first round, saying that the match was won with great difficulty and that she did not play at her best level. She was very happy to have passed the test of the first round. According to the schedule, Zheng Qinwen will play in the next round on January 15, but her opponent has not yet been determined.
After advancing to the second round of the Australian Open, Zheng Qinwen earned 70 points and a prize of 200,000 Australian dollars (about 900,000 yuan). Her total points reached 5395, and she remained ranked fifth in the world. However, she is only 14 points behind the fourth-ranked Polini, making it possible for her to rise to the world's fourth position in the near future.
After the end of the 2024 year-end finals, Zheng Qinwen had 5340 points and was locked in fifth place, trailing Polini by 4 points, which is already very close to the world's fourth position.
Entering the new season, Zheng Qinwen chose to temporarily withdraw from the Tennis United Cup, while Polini participated and won two group matches, reaching a total of 5399 points, expanding her lead to 74 points and continuing to rank fourth in the world.
Now at the Australian Open, Zheng Qinwen made her first-round appearance ahead of Polini, winning with a 2-0 scoreline, earning 70 points. Since each player who participates in the main draw receives a minimum of 10 points, Zheng Qinwen can now be considered to have increased by 60 points, meaning she is only 14 points behind Polini.
According to the schedule, Polini will play her first-round match on January 14. If she is eliminated in the first round, Zheng Qinwen will rise to the world's fourth position, lacking only one condition, which is to win another Australian Open match. Players who advance to the third round of the Australian Open can earn 130 points, at which point Zheng Qinwen can surpass Polini, so the current stage requires meeting the above two conditions.
If Polini wins several matches at the Australian Open, Zheng Qinwen must win one more match than her. However, judging from the draw results, Polini has drawn an excellent lot and has the hope of advancing to the semifinals. Zheng Qinwen is likely to face defending champion Sabalenka in the quarterfinals, which will be a difficult hurdle to overcome.