Top seed Qinwen Zheng faces a critical second-round match on Thursday at the Queen’s Club Championships, where she aims to avoid an early upset by American McCartney Kessler. This match preview focuses on their upcoming showdown, highlighting key elements influencing both players as they prepare for the clash on grass courts.
Analyzing Zheng’s Recent Performances and Grass Court Challenges
Just a week ago, Qinwen Zheng expressed frustration over costly unforced errors during her loss to world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in Paris, which prevented her from securing consecutive wins against the Belarusian player. Transitioning to grass, Zheng is eager to reverse this trend and build momentum heading into Wimbledon.
Despite her status as Olympic gold medallist and world No. 5, Zheng’s record on grass leaves room for improvement. Her last notable victory on this surface came a year ago when she defeated Naomi Osaka in Berlin, a win that ended a streak of four consecutive grass court losses.
Since then, Zheng has experienced back-to-back defeats to Katerina Siniakova in Berlin and to Sun at Wimbledon. Although she has won first and second-round matches at Wimbledon 2022 against Sloane Stephens and Greet Minnen, her overall grass court proficiency remains inconsistent.
Kessler’s Grass Court Experience and Season Performance
In contrast, world No. 42 McCartney Kessler enters the encounter with seasonal momentum, holding a 22-14 record including qualifying matches. The American has proven her ability to challenge higher-ranked players this year, most notably defeating Coco Gauff in Dubai in February, marking her only top-10 victory to date.
Despite this, Kessler’s main draw success on grass is limited; she has achieved just one victory on this surface prior to this tournament, a straight-sets win over British player Francesca Jones earlier this week. Her overall grass court record stands at five wins and two losses, but four of those wins came during qualifying rounds.
On Thursday, Kessler aims to secure back-to-back wins for the first time on grass and advance to the quarterfinals, where she could face Emma Raducanu or Rebecca Sramkova.
Comparing Zheng and Kessler: Head-to-Head and Rankings
Zheng and Kessler will meet on the WTA Tour for the first time, with the winner gaining an initial lead in their rivalry. Zheng, despite a recent dip in form, is notable for securing five consecutive wins this season against players ranked between 41 and 100, though she started the year with losses to Laura Siegemund in Australia and Peyton Stearns in Dubai.
Kessler, meanwhile, holds a 1-4 record against top-10 opponents, reflecting her ongoing efforts to establish dominance against elite players. Her recent performances suggest she has the potential to challenge the Olympic champion, particularly on a surface where Zheng has shown vulnerability.
Prospects for Thursday’s Match and Player Predictions
Considering Zheng’s career 3-8 record on grass courts, Kessler has a reasonable chance to mount a serious challenge in their upcoming match. The American’s confidence from earlier grass court wins and her capacity to upset higher seeds makes the encounter unpredictable.
“I am excited to test myself against Qinwen, and I believe I have what it takes to compete at this level.”
—McCartney Kessler, Player
As the Queen’s Club Championships progress, this match could influence both players’ form heading into Wimbledon, making the outcome important not only for immediate tournament standing but also for grass-court confidence moving forward.