Aryna Sabalenka vs Qinwen Zheng recap: French Open 2025 quarter-final result from Court Philippe-Chatrier as Aryna Sabalenka powers into the last four

A. Sabalenka vs Q. Zheng | Roland-Garros

Women's Singles | Quarter-final | 03.06.2025 | Court Philippe-Chatrier

Completed

A. Sabalenka (1)

Q. Zheng (8)

7⁷

6³

Live

Live Updates

All
Highlights

12:10

SABALENKA'S QUEST FOR A MAIDEN FRENCH OPEN TITLE CONTINUES

Aryna Sabalenka reached the French Open semi-finals for just the second time in her career following a high-class encounter with Qinwen Zheng.

The world number one maintained her pursuit of a maiden Roland-Garros crown with a 7-6 6-3 victory in one hour and 57 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Sabalenka came from a break down in the opener to dominate and take the tie-break 7-3.

There was an exchange of breaks in the second before the Belarusian raced clear to win the final three games of the contest.

Sabalenka will now meet Elina Svitolina or Iga Swiatek in the last four.

Image credit: Getty Images

12:10

GAME, SET AND MATCH! - SABALENKA 7-6 6-4 ZHENG

Sabalenka looks to get the job done here and from 40-0 down she comes out swinging.

The Belarusian nails a couple of sensational backhand winners before another skims the baseline and forces the error.

Zheng then blinks first in a volley to volley exchange at the net to earn match point…

The Chinese is in charge of the ensuing rally but then floats a drop shot wide!

12:03

SABALENKA 7-6 5-3 ZHENG

Zheng presses for another breakthrough and a lovely crosscourt drop shot bamboozles Aryna to turn the game into another toil for the top seed.

A lovely mix-up of pace between shots sees Sabalenka catch Qinwen out with a forehand thunderbolt, but the world number one gets herself in a tangle judging the flight of a mid-court ball in the wind and slaps a forehand into the net to extend the game to deuce.

A clutch serve gets Aryna back on track and she eventually consolidates with a stonking inside-in forehand to move within a game of victory.

11:59

BREAK! - SABALENKA 7-6 4-3 ZHENG

That’s some drop-off from the eight seed.

Again, the first serve goes AWOL at the business end of the set and a double fault coughs up triple break point.

Sabalenka just has to stay in the next rally to convert as Zheng stumbles into a wild backhand that flies way off the island.

11:54

BREAK! - SABALENKA 7-6 3-3 ZHENG

‘Grrrrrrr!’

There’s no poker-face when Saba’s in town as she vents her irritation when she opens with a double fault.

Zheng keeps the pressure on with a wonderful crosscourt pass and then earns two break points with a stonking return winner down the line off a massive serve.

It even has Aryna grinning and applauding - it really is that good.

The Belarusian isn’t smiling for long as her block volley that is initially called in is questioned by Qinwen and the umpire agrees it’s out.

Sabalenka shakes her head and isn’t happy but according to Hawkeye, it was out and Zheng breaks straight back!

11:49

BREAK! - SABALENKA 7-6 3-2 ZHENG

Sabalenka opens with a ferocious inside-out forehand but is later furious with herself when she overcooks a deep return that would have clocked up two break points.

The world number one gets it right on the next point, however, as she exposes a rather timid second serve from the Olympic champion to earn a chance, but Zheng comes up clutch and clatters away an overhead on the stretch to reach deuce.

The Chinese eighth seed can’t reset and drags an awkward backhand off what looked like a routine plus-one wide.

This time Sabalenka makes it count as she arrows a backhand return down the line to move a set and a break to the good.

11:43

SABALENKA 7-6 2-2 ZHENG

Zheng’s loopy return is almost bordering on ‘moon balling’ at times, but she has had some success with it.

Clearly, her team have noticed something about how the top seed handles it and Saba is tentative here as she jitters on her footwork and thrashes a mid-court forehand long.

Zheng then sizzles an inside-in winner up the line to threaten at 0-30 but Sabalenka comes up trumps with the plus-one coming to her rescue before an ace down the T finishes a tough old hold with aplomb.

11:38

SABALENKA 7-6 1-2 ZHENG

Sabalenka’s short slice and feel on the drop shots clearly trump Zheng’s ability when it comes to guile and they help her ask a question from 30-0 down to 30-30.

Zheng’s first serve has returned to the level it was firing at during the early stages of the opener and it delivers for her here as she avoids the danger to keep her nose in front.

11:35

SABALENKA 7-6 1-1 ZHENG

The expression on Aryna Sabalenka’s face is hilarious as she’s forced to duck to avoid Zheng’s Hollywood attempt at a stretch return from deep in her right corner.

The top seed rallies from 0-30 and more incredible defence eventually sees Qinwen flash a forehand long when a break point seemed to be incoming.

Instead, the top seed completes the rescue-act to edge on to the board when the Chinese blasts a return long.

11:29

SABALENKA 7-6 0-1 ZHENG

Zheng returns from a lengthy comfort break between sets to kick off her comeback bid with some hefty serving that leads to a morale-boosting hold to 15.

11:21

SET! – SABALENKA 7-6 ZHENG

The world number one bags a hard-fought 59-minute opener as she pulls clear following the change of ends to seal the tie-break 7-3.

'Oh my!' - Watch Zheng produce incredible shot as she finds line against Sabalenka

Video credit: TNT Sports

11:17

TIE-BREAK LATEST: SABALENKA 4-2 ZHENG

Qinwen unleashes a winner off the backhand and forehand to make a strong start in the breaker.

Sabalenka responds with a ferocious forehand and a wrong-footing backhand, back in-behind Zheng to level.

The Belarusian booms another missile-like forehand deep down the line to and then makes it four points in a row when a rasping return rushes Zheng into a forehand wide.

11:11

SABALENKA 6-6 ZHENG

Sabalenka pulls off a lovely drop shot and then demonstrates more supreme defence to stretch into a shot that cleans the baseline and make 30-30.

Zheng then halts mid-rally and says the ball was out near her baseline. The umpire comes to check and says it was … IN!

It hands set point to Aryna who bosses the ensuing rally before being unlocked by a stunning backhand down the line on the full stretch from the eighth seed.

It paves the way to an eventful hold as she comes up with some real magic to force the breaker.

Incidentally, on TNT Sports Comms, Naomi Cavaday, reveals that Hawkeye showed that the ball she questioned was indeed OUT!

11:03

SABALENKA 6-5 ZHENG

Sabalenka makes short work of a hold to 15 as she reels off four points in a row, popping away a simple volley into the open court to finish.

Stream the 2025 French Open live and on-demand on discovery+

10:59

SABALENKA 5-5 ZHENG

Zheng appears to have lost some focus at the worst possible time.

The Olympic champion gets distracted by a mark in the dirt as Aryna feathers home a drop shot and then suddenly a 30-0 lead turns sour when she double faults again to feel heat at 30-30.

A clutch first serve steadies the ship, but she skews a risky backhand down the line wide to allow Sabalenka to turn the screw at deuce.

The Chinese is in trouble as she’s sent stretching out to her right wing, but she claws back a beauty of a crosscourt forehand to earn another game point.

The world number one digs in to stand tall in the next rally but Zheng finally comes good on serve with an ace down the T sealing a very tough hold.

10:50

SABALENKA 5-4 ZHENG

Sabalenka’s surge of adrenalin is halted by a an untimely double fault but she goes big on another second delivery to pull off a risky service winner.

Zheng lures an error off a high-reach forehand with another looping return to make 30-30 but then fluffs her lines with a poor, hooked backhand that flies well wide.

Sabalenka’s first serve is pretty much AWOL throughout that game, but she digs out the hold when Qinwen drills a tame return into the net.

It's a significant hold as she hits the front on the board at the business end of this high-quality opener.

10:45

BREAK! – SABALENKA 4-4 ZHENG

Sabalenka looks to be even more aggressive on the return and misses her first attempt by a whisker.

It appears to unnerve Zheng as she follows up a mid-court forehand winner for 30-15 with back-to-back double faults.

The top seed senses the moment and steps in on some shorter balls before drilling a beauty of a backhand winner down the line to secure the break back.

10:40

SABALENKA 3-4 ZHENG

‘Let’s go!’ bellows Aryna as Zheng bangs a backhand long.

It’s fair to say the top seed is well aware that the eighth seed has surprisingly been bossing her in the baseline exchanges up to this juncture.

Zheng pushes to Pulp (30-30) with a deep, looping forehand down the line but then wastes some wonderful approach with a simple volley into the net.

The Chinese continues to dictate but Sabalenka gets reward for some outstanding defence deep behind her baseline when Qinwen again shows her discomfort in the forecourt with a slice dropper wide.

10:35

SABALENKA 2-4 ZHENG

Zheng hits clutch mode on serve to reassert her authority after a double fault had cranked up the temperature at 15-30.

The Olympic champion saves the best until last as she polishes off her latest hold with a scorching backhand down the line.

Watch as Zheng wins opening points against Sabalenka's serve in French Open quarter-final

Video credit: TNT Sports

10:30

SABALENKA 2-3 ZHENG

The internal alarm system has been blaring for Sabalenka over the last few games, but she hits the reset here with a much-needed clean hold.

Image credit: Getty Images