Tennis fans know that Zheng Qinwen can deliver greatness. The Chinese player won a Gold medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024, reached the Australian Open final in the same year, and was ranked as high as No. 4 in 2025. But she struggled with chronic pain in her right elbow, and that has kept her from being consistently at her best.
At her best, Zheng is capable of defeating anyone. She could even win the Athens Open this week, but to do so, she first had to get past sixth seed Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro in the round of 32.
Zheng jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first set, using her raw power to push the Spaniard around the court. The question was whether the Chinese player could stay in top form. In past matches, she has had several games of brilliance followed by several games of brutal struggle. Her consistency has been one of her biggest challenges.
Zheng Qinwen overpowers Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro to open Athens Open run
Bouzas Maneiro isn't without power herself, though. She was able to fight back to get to 4-all. The 23-year-old Spaniard is still searching for her first career WTA final and title, but she likely felt no early-round stress and was beginning to swing away freely.
At the end of set one, though, Zheng raised her level, getting a late break to take the set 7-5. She followed that with a hold and then another break in the second set. Her career-long inconsistency was playing itself out in this specific match, and almost every game.
Bouzas Maneiro was mostly powerless to do anything to change the narrative. She didn't play horribly (she won as many points in the opening set as Zheng), but when the Chinese player needed her power to pull through, she seemed to find it. The question was whether the second set would follow the path of the first and Zheng would lose grip on her 3-0 lead.
She wouldn't. She got yet another break of the Spaniard and then another hold, moving around the court well and then hitting well-struck balls at elite angles. At 5-0 in set two, there was no doubt that Zheng would win. The only question was what the score of the second set would be. In the end, it was 6-1.
Zheng Qinwen will next play the winner of the match between Martha Matoula and Elena Micic in the round of 16 at the Athens Open. If Zheng can get through that match, she potentially could face Barbora Krejcikova in the quarterfinals.
