Qinwen Zheng scored a three-set win over Alina Charaeva at the 2026 China Open in Beijing on Wednesday, fighting through 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 to book her spot in the WTA quarterfinals. Playing in front of a home crowd, Zheng picked up her second straight trip to the final eight, and her first tour-level victory over the young Russian.
Zheng Grinds Out Another 3-Set Win Against Charaeva
After rolling through the opener, Zheng hit a wall when Charaeva found her rhythm and leveled the match with a commanding second set. That momentum shift was sharp, but it didn't last.
In the decider, the home favorite tightened up on serve, breaking back at a crucial stretch in the third. Zheng was able to seal the two-hour, 11-minute contest against Charaeva to keep her Beijing run intact.
The quarterfinal berth, her third at a WTA 1000 event on home soil, puts Zheng in select company as only Li Na and Zhang Shuai have matched that number among Chinese players since 1990. Achieving the benchmark on the eve of her 24th birthday just made the win that much sweeter.
"I hope my team prepared a good birthday gift for me," Zheng joked after the match. "I'm just really appreciative to have won this match because [there were] some ups and downs."
Up next, she'll face No. 7 seed Elina Svitolina. It will be the first meeting between the pair on tour.
