Zheng Qinwen finally got her first win over Aryna Sabalenka at the seventh attempt to reach the Italian Open semi-finals on Wednesday and the Olympic champion said she had perhaps shown the world number one too much respect in their prior meetings.
The Chinese 22-year-old had gone down tamely in all but one of her previous six encounters with Sabalenka, including in the 2024 Australian Open final, but she delivered a clinical 6-4 6-3 win over the off-color Belarusian in Rome.
The win will come as a huge boost for Zheng as she continues her preparations for the French Open, which begins on May 25.
"The few times I faced her in the beginning, I gave her too much respect," Zheng told reporters, according to Reuters.
"I didn't face her like a normal player. I remember I was going to see her in the 2017 China Open ... My father was saying 'Oh, you need to learn about her forehand, her backhand'.
"I think this kind of respect, it takes a while to treat her like a normal player."
Sabalenka had been on a nine-match winning streak on clay but Zheng said she was in her comfort zone on the surface.
"This is the first time we've played on clay," she said.
"I guess when I play on clay, I'm more comfortable because I've got great experience on clay.
"I was more patient. I'm happy with my performance and happy to make the step forward to beat the world number one."
Zheng plays world number three Coco Gauff for a place in the final.
