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Zheng Qinwen produces stunning comeback to beat Madison Keys in US Open third round - 'I forgot how to compete' React to this story Zheng Qinwen said she "forgot how to compete" after a long period with a chronic elbow injury, but credited her perseverance as she came from behind to beat home favourite Madison Keys in three sets at the US Open. Keys was 5-0 up and had a match point in the final set and looked almost certain to progress to the round of 16. But Zheng fought back admirably, reeling off seven successive games to take the set and stun the crowd in New York. It finished 1-6 7-6(7-3) 7-5 as 22nd seed Keys was eliminated and Zheng set up a clash with six-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek. "Finally, a bit of luck is on my side," the 23-year-old said. "I was just telling myself never give up. Somehow, little by little, it just happened. "Tennis sometimes feels like a rollercoaster. You see many times people have a match point, but at the end, we made a comeback." It was a significant victory for the Chinese player, who required elbow surgery last year. Her injury hampered her progress after a 2024 in which she reached the and won Olympic gold. Zheng climbed to a career-high ranking of fourth in the world, but she is now 121st, having had to work her way back to full strength after nine months out. She lost to Maja Chwalinska in the first round of the French Open in May and was in tears in her post-match press conference. "After coming back from injury I felt I lost the energy and I forgot how to compete," she said. Zheng's ranking meant she had to qualify for the US Open, beating You Xiaodi, Clara Burel and Elena Pridankina. - 'She's my idol' - Williams sisters bow out of US Open - 'I'm better than I thought' - Alcaraz surprises himself after storming past Wu - Sabalenka reveals secret weapon to 'distract opponents' after third-round win She is the first qualifier to reach the round of 16 at the Grand Slam since Emma Raducanu, who went on to memorably claim the trophy in 2021. "I was even crying after I won the third match to reach the main draw," Zheng added. "The main draw is just the beginning where all the players start. That was my beginning before. I fight so hard just to start like everyone else. For me, that was really not easy." Gauff advances to set up all-American clash There was no upset on Arthur Ashe Stadium as fourth seed Coco Gauff beat Spain's Cristina Bucsa 6-3 6-4 to set up a round of 16 match against 18-year-old American Iva Jovic. Gauff was 3-1 down in a difficult opening first set but eventually took control of the match as she continues her pursuit of a second US Open title. "She's a tricky player, so it's tough to get rhythm," she said. "Happy with how I fought through even when I wasn't playing my best." Asked about the exits of American players, including Keys and Taylor Fritz - who lost to Francisco Cerundolo in the men's draw - Gauff said: "Upsets are a thing, but at the end of the day, anybody can lose. "I go into it with that mindset... it makes me have my guard up all the time, which makes me play better." Add TNT Sports as a preferred source here to enjoy more content like this. Watch and stream top tennis action, including the 2027 Australian Open and 2027 French Open, live with TNT Sports on HBO Max. Related Topics