NEW YORK — After the longest match in U.S. Open history, and the latest start in U.S. Open history, came the latest finish for a women’s match in U.S. Open history.
When Zheng Qinwen finally put away Donna Vekic, the clock was at 2:15 a.m, this year’s tournament set another record for lateness, in the first year that it has introduced a Late Finishing Match Policy designed to mitigate the impact of late-night tennis on players.
The No. 7 seed triumphed 7-6(2), 4-6, 6-2 in two hours and fifty minutes, in a repeat of the gold medal match at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Zheng and Vekic, the No. 24 seed, thundered the ball back-and-forth into the small hours, in one of the best women’s matches of this year’s U.S. Open.
Zheng and Vekic surpassed the previous record by two minutes. Bianca Andreescu and Maria Sakkari’s three-set match at the 2021 tournament finally finished at 2:13 a.m., with the Greek winning 6-7(2), 7-6(3), 6-3.
“It’s always nice for me to play at the night session,” Zheng said when it was over.
“I’m used to it … It’s my first time playing here in New York til two in the morning. That’s unbelievable.”
In Paris, Zheng was almost always on the front foot against Vekic. She used the clay at Roland Garros to her advantage, rearing her heavy…
