Massive Australian Open shock as top star Zheng Qinwen falls to the oldest woman in the tournament after fiery clash with umpire

Last year’s Australian Open runner-up Zheng Qinwen has crashed out in a huge upset in the second round at Melbourne Park to unfancied German veteran Laura Siegemund.

The fifth-seeded Zheng came into the first major of 2025 in imperious form.

In addition to her breakout run to last year’s Open title match, Zheng made five more finals, won gold at the Paris Olympics and was runner-up to Coco Gauff at the showpiece season-ending championship.

But she was no match on Wednesday for the 36-year-old Siegemund – the oldest player still in the women’s draw – who won 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 in two hours and 16 minutes.

It was the German’s first win over a top-10 player since 2022.

‘I knew I had to play more than my best tennis,’ Siegemund said in her on-court interview.

Zheng Qinwenwas shattered after falling in straight sets to world No.97 Laura Siegemund at Melbourne Park on Wednesday (pictured)

Last year’s women’s singles runner-up became visibly emotional when she clashed with the umpire after she was docked a point for time wasting

‘I had nothing to lose, so I just told myself to swing freely.

‘(Zheng) is an amazing player, just one of the best players right now.

‘But I know that I can play well and I just wanted to show that to myself and make it a tough fight.’

Her effort drew high praise from former Aussie star turned Channel Nine commentator Casey Dellacqua, who said, ‘In all my time watching tennis, playing tennis, that has to be one of the most exceptional performances from a 36-year-old.’

Zheng got into a heated exchange with the umpire in the second set, when the chair interrupted her during her service motion to hit her with one of a series of time code violations, docking her a point.

A visibly emotional Zheng argued that she couldn’t see the clock as the crowd started a slow hand clap, with the umpire telling her to check the time before she began her serve. 

The woman who beat Zheng in last year’s final at Melbourne Park, world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, overcome a second-set scare to take another step on the road to becoming the first women this century to win three successive Australian Open crowns.

Unseeded Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro led 5-2 in the second set, only for the top seed from Belarus to step on the gas.

Aussie star turned commentator Casey Dellacuqa branded the German’s stunning win the best effort she’s ever seen from a 36-year-old

Zheng also won gold at the Paris Olympics – making her brutal exit even more of a shock 

Sabalenka, 26, reeled off the last five games in succession to win 6-3 7-5 in one hour and 34 minutes.

‘(Bouzas Maneiro) played incredible tennis today,’ Sabalenka said.

‘It was a really tough one, I expected this tennis from her.’

Next up for the Belarusian is a round-of-32 encounter with another unseeded player, Denmark’s Clara Tauson, who trounced German Tatjana Maria 6-2 6-2.

Swiss superstar Martina Hingis was the most recent woman to lift the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup on three successive occasions in 1997-99.

Seventh-seeded American Jessica Pegula finally beat Elise Mertens for the first time in four attempts, knocking out the Belgian 6-4 6-2.

Mertens’ best-ever performance at a major came at her Australian Open debut in 2018 when she made it all the way to the semis before bowing out to Carolina Wozniacki.

Pegula reached her maiden grand slam final at last year’s US Open, where she lost to Sabalenka.

Serb Olga Danilovic caused a minor upset on Wednesday when she sent Russian No.25 seed Liudmila Samsonova packing 6-1 6-2.