Zheng advances at US Open

Zheng Qinwen didn't let a shaky start deter her in the US Open on Monday, as she relied on her serve to bounce back and win her first-round match.

Zheng, China's Olympic women's tennis gold medalist, overcame early troubles with her serve to advance in New York with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Amanda Anisimova of the United States on Monday.

A US Open quarterfinalist last year, Zheng won 73 percent of her first-serve points and six of her 11 break-point chances during a two-hour, 20-minute match at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens.

Zheng, 21, who is seeded seventh in the top US tournament, persevered although she was broken on her serve four times by the American.

"She was hitting the ball really good today, everything was going to the side and in at the beginning. I couldn't do anything," Zheng said of her opponent in comments after the match.

"The further the match goes, I started to find my rhythm on the hard court. In the second set, I really believed in my shots," Zheng said. "I started to be more consistent and found more percentage in my serve. Little by little, I got into it, I want to say a really good job from Amanda."

In the first set, Anisimova, 22, took a 5-1 double-break lead but then had to dig deep when Zheng broke her serve at love, turned aside three set points on her next serve, and then broke her opponent's serve again.

But Anisimova, having twice failed to serve out the set, finally managed to capture the first set.

In the second set, Zheng looked more comfortable from the line, including during a four-ace game to reach a 2-2 score before she broke serve in the next game to put Anisimova on the back foot. Zheng then leaned on her serve to close out the frame.

Zheng jumped out to a double-break, 3-0 lead in the deciding set. Anisimova had to have her left foot tended to before the set. At one point, Anisimova winced after a shot due to discomfort in her right hand.

Zheng was able to stay on an even keel in the match.

"It's the typical match I will lose [before], especially after huge success, because as I know myself; usually after huge success, I will get a little bit too high and until the reality slap me down again," Zheng said.

"I say, everything starts zero. You are not anymore Olympic champion. Just be humble and trying to work, fight every single match, because if you don't fight, you have a big chance you lose.

"I'm going to continue working hard, keep the stable mindset," she said.

"To win this match means I make one step forward in my mental side."

Zheng was the first Asian player, female or male, to win an Olympic tennis gold medal in singles earlier this month at the Paris Games.

She will face Russia's Erika Andreeva in the next round.

Zheng was born in Shiyan, in Central China's Hubei province, and holds a B.S. degree from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan.

Zheng and Li Na are the only tennis players from China to be ranked in the top 10. Li won the 2011 French Open and the Australian Open in 2014, retiring that year.

"I want to stay playing the US Open," Zheng said. "I'm happy what I did in the past, but right now, I just want to focus on here."