Zheng Qinwen of China began her 2025 Australian Open with a 7-6(3), 6-1 victory over Anca Todoni of Romania in the women's singles first round at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday.

Todoni, 20, made the Australian Open main draw for the first time in her career as a qualifier and to play her first match against Zheng. Both hold all of their first three service games as the first set was tied 3-3. Having conceded only one point in her first three service games, Zheng earned herself the first break point in the seventh game. Though Todoni saved it with an ace, she suffered the break as Zheng scored two straight plays and lead 4-3.

Todoni was trailing 5-3 and had to hold her fifth service game. The competition grew into a 11-minute rally that included five draws before the Romanian clinched it and cut the set 5-4. In the following game, she first wiped three set points by the opponent and then exploited Zheng's consecutive faults to score her first break and tie the set 5-5.

Having held in the 11th game to lead 6-5, Todoni gave Zheng a chill in the 12th with three set points. However, Zheng wiped all of them to claim the game and drag the set into a tiebreak which she took 7-3 for a 1-0 advantage in the match.

The close competition in the first set enabled Zheng to start the second with more aggression. She broke Todoni in her first service game and built a quick 3-0 lead. Though Todoni held in the fourth game after a medical timeout, Zheng was unstoppable with her trend and clinched another three games in a row to seal the deal.