China's Zheng beats Sabalenka for the first time to reach Italian Open semifinals

"Finally, I broke through! I've always known I have the ability to beat anyone, and I'm really happy that I truly did it today," said Zheng after the match.

Zheng gave herself a score of 7.5 for her performance. "I think I did well at the start, and I told myself I couldn't lose those opening games so easily like before. When the match enters a tighter phase, I feel it's more to my advantage, because actually, I'm better than her at playing long rallies. When the match goes into a three or four-shot exchange, statistically, I have the edge," Zheng reflected.