China’s Zheng Qinwen says terrible stomach cramps hampered her chances of winning the French Open on Monday against world number one Iga Swiatek, leaving her wishing she could “be a man”. Zheng, who is only 19 years old and is competing in her maiden Roland Garros, captured the first set against the defending champion before losing 6-7 (5/7), 6-0, 6-2 in their last-16 match. Early in the second set, the world number 74 needed a medical stoppage to strap her damaged right leg, but she claimed that was the least of her worries.
It’s simply a girl thing, Zheng added, referring to her menstrual cramps. She went on to say that the first day is always difficult and that she is required to participate in sports. Zheng said that she couldn’t go against her nature. She expressed her desire to be a man in order to avoid having to deal with this. She said that it’s a challenging situation.
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Zheng saved five set points, had two of her own, and then came back from 2/5 down in the tiebreak to stun the top seed in an 82-minute first set. Swiatek has not dropped a set since the semi-finals in Stuttgart on April 23, when she was stretched by Liudmila Samsonova. Zheng needed a medical timeout at 0-3 in the second set due to a leg ailment, putting the 2020 Roland Garros champion’s streak in jeopardy.
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It was difficult because of Zheng’s leg, he explained. In comparison to the stomach, she stated it was simple. She then stated that she was unable to play tennis due to stomach pains. Zheng stated that she gives her all on the court, but that it is difficult. Swiatek increased her winning streak to 32 matches, tying Justine Henin’s 14-year-old record for the best winning streak in the century, according to sources.
After reaching the quarter-finals for the third year in a row, Swiatek said that Zheng played well. She went on to say that some of Zheng’s shots surprised her and that her top spin was incredible. She also congratulated Zheng, saying she was relieved to return after a frustrating first set in which she held the lead.
Featured Image Credits: NDTV