Volkswacht Bodensee - Olympic champion Zheng storms home to reach US Open last 16

After coming through the second-set tiebreaker, Zheng appeared to be out of steam in the final set.

The former world number four had to come through qualifying after a lengthy recovery from an elbow injury saw her ranking plummet.

Keys took charge with an early break and broke Zheng again for a 4-0 lead in a game the Chinese player led 40-0.

Keys held for 5-0 lead, but Zheng had a last stand in her. She saved match point at 5-1 and kept on rolling.

Keys, former Australian Open champion and runner-up at Flushing Meadows back in 2017, had taken the first set in just 23 minutes without facing a break point, dropping just five points on her own serve.

Zheng found her rhythm in a tight second set. A late exchange of breaks sent it to a tiebreaker, Zheng winning the last three points to force a deciding third set.

Zheng, currently ranked 121st in the world, will face either six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek or Czech Marie Bouzkova for a place in the quarter-finals.

W.Huber--VB