Zheng Defeats Vekić in Historic Late Finish

China's Zheng Qinwen defeated Croatia's Donna Vekić in a historic late finish at the US Open, concluding their match at 2:15 a.m. The match, which lasted 2 hours and 50 minutes, set a new record for the latest finish in a women's match at the tournament, surpassing the previous record of 2:13 a.m. from 2021. Zheng, the 7th seed and Olympic gold medalist, will face World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals. The late match times drew criticism from players including Andy Murray, who called the scheduling 'amateurish' and urged organizers to improve it. Despite the late hour, Zheng expressed her enthusiasm for night sessions and thanked the fans who stayed to support her. This victory marks another significant achievement for Zheng, who aims to be the fourth woman to win both Olympic gold and the US Open in the same year.