There were moments where Vekic seemed spent, bending over and leaning on her racket to catch her breath.
Right before Zheng delivered the first serve of Saturday’s contest at Court Philippe Chatrier, loud shouts of “Jia You!” in Mandarin rang out from all sections of the 15,000 capacity stadium as fans waved red-and-yellow flags. It’s a phrase that literally means “Add oil!” — in other words, “Hit the gas!” — and is loosely equivalent to “Let’s go!”
Those yells resumed right after Vekic’s return nestled into the net, giving Zheng the initial point. And they could be heard over and over again whenever things went Zheng’s way throughout the proceedings on a breezy, cloudy afternoon.
Which was rather often.
Zheng took 10 of the opening 12 points en route to a 3-0 lead, before Vekic finally grabbed a game.
Vekic’s supporters in the stands tried to will her to better play, chanting “Don-na! Don-na!” while clapping in unison. But Zheng directed shots deep in the court, often right near lines, occasionally overwhelming Vekic, who can pound a tennis ball, too.
After Zheng forced an error with a huge forehand to break serve and own the first set, she soon went up 2-0 in the second. That’s where Vekic made a bit of a stand, stealing one of Zheng’s service games and getting to 2-all.
But — with chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore asking spectators to refrain from making noise during points — Zheng took control anew toward the end, breaking to lead 5-3. When she smacked another heavy forehand winner to close the win, she slid onto her back on the clay, then got a Chinese flag from the stands, held it like a cape to roars and draped it over her sideline chair.
