China’s Zheng Qinwen reached the quarterfinals of the US Open for the second time with her victory over Donna Vekic at 2:15 a.m. on Monday. This was a record for a women’s match.

Zheng, seeded 7th, won 7:6 (7/2), 4:6 and 6:2 against her 24th-seeded Croatian opponent, whom she had also defeated in the final of the Olympic Games in Paris four weeks ago.

The early morning finish beat the old record of 2:13 set in 2021, when Maria Sakkari defeated Bianca Andreescu in the round of 16.

“I like playing in the night session. It’s my first time here in New York,” Zheng said in front of several hundred spectators in the 24,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“It’s two in the morning, it’s unbelievable. Thanks to the fans who stayed to support me.”

The powerful 21-year-old Zheng is only the second Chinese woman to appear in two quarterfinals in New York, after Li Na in 2009 and 2013.

Zheng will next face world number two Aryna Sabalenka, whom she defeated in the quarterfinals in 2023 and in the final of the Australian Open in January.

Zheng won a close first set against Vekic, not allowing a single break point, before the experienced Croatian leveled the round of 16.

However, Zheng was ultimately the stronger one and secured her place in the next round.

DJ/DJ