It was only four years ago that Zheng Qinwen surged on to the Hologic WTA Tour as a teenager with a hot streak at ITF level and a hunger to take down the biggest names in the sport.
So she was ready for what 18-year-old Victoria Mboko would bring to Court Simonne-Mathieu in the third round of Roland Garros — and, now the No. 8 seed and reigning Olympic gold medalist, was able quell it, advancing 6-3, 6-4 in 1 hour and 26 minutes.
Roland Garros: Draws | Scores | 411
Mboko brought a 42-5 season record and an increasingly dangerous reputation into the contest. In the very first Grand Slam event of her career, the Canadian qualifier had not dropped a set in five matches; in her only two previous…