Chinese tennis sensation Zheng Qinwen, who got a first-round bye at the China Open, eased past Kamilla Rakhimova of Russia 6-1, 6-1 in the women’s singles second round at the Diamond Court on Saturday.

The 21-year-old Zheng seized a historic gold at the Paris Olympic Games this summer and focused on preparing for a China tour after the US Open.

Fifth-seeded Zheng broke Rakhimova early in the first set and took a 4-1 lead. Her strong returns from the baseline helped to dominate the match. The Olympic champion pocketed the victory in straight sets with warm support at home.

“It has been a long time since I played such smoothly. Every match was tough at the US Open, after which I mainly practiced together with male tennis players,” Zheng said. “Today’s victory shows that my training works.”

“I didn’t expect so many people coming to watch my game today. The crowd gave me much energy. I hope to win more games and have more chance to play for the fans,” she added.