Two-time NCAA champion stuns British No.1 after coming through qualifying for first Wimbledon win

A miserable 24 hours for the high profile Brits got worse on Day 1 at Wimbledon.

After withdrawals for Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper, British No. 1 Cameron Norrie crash out as 22-year-old Michael Zheng — the World No. 144 — produced the performance of his life on his Wimbledon debut.

AFP

The American qualifier won a fifth set tie-break in front of a partizan and packed crowd on Court 2 to advance to the second round.

A 6-7, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3, 7-6 (10-4) victory marks the biggest of Zheng’s young career, in just his third appearance in a Grand Slam main draw.

But he has pedigree in SW19, having reached the Boys Singles final in 2022.

Speaking immediately after the match, he said: “Thank you so much to the crowd, it was an unbelievable atmosphere, this is what you dream of.

“Honored to be part of a match like this… it means so much, this is what every kid dreams of.

“Wimbledon is by far and away the best tournament. I think the people, architecture, everything.

“I’ve always enjoyed my time here, and hope to keep the run going.”

Norrie was the only British man to be seeded heading into SW19, and faced a relative unknown who headlined the list of successful qualifiers by downing Colton Smith to book his spot last week.

Zheng, a two-time NCAA champion out of Columbia University, made his first major appearances at this year’s Australian and French Opens.

On both occasions he came through qualifying, and he did so again last week at the Wimbledon qualifying tournament.

Getty

Getty

On the biggest stage of his life, he took in the acclaim of the Court 2 crowd after securing a dramatic comeback win that keeps his dream Wimbledon debut alive.

He will next face either Adolfo Vallejo or Nicolas Mejia in the second round, while third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime looms as a potential third round opponent.

Zheng, from Chesapeake, Virginia, secured his first ever main-draw victory at the Australian Open in January, where he downed fellow American Sebastian Korda in five sets.

Zheng also competed at the French Open last month, and is the first Columbia alum to play in a tennis grand slam since Phil Williamson qualified for the US Open in 1993.

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