MELBOURNE – Columbia men’s tennis senior Michael Zheng has successfully advanced to the second round of the Australian Open qualifying round following a decisive 6-3, 6-3 victory against Australia’s Cruz Hewitt, the son of former world No. 1 player Lleyton Hewitt. Zheng is set to face Chile’s Tomas Barrios Vera, currently ranked No. 107 by the ATP, on Court 7, with the match scheduled to begin at 10:30 p.m.
During his first-round match, Zheng initially fell behind at 3-2 in the opening set but quickly regained control by breaking Hewitt’s serve to even the score. He continued his strong performance, capturing the first set 6-3 after breaking Hewitt again. In the second set, Zheng demonstrated his experience, taking an early 4-1 lead against the 17-year-old opponent, who entered the tournament ranked No. 734. Zheng sealed the victory with a thrilling forehand smash to secure the match-winning point.
Barrios Vera, Zheng’s next opponent, also advanced to the second round by defeating France’s Sascha Gueymard Wayenburg with a score of 6-2, 7-6 (8-6).
Zheng’s participation marks his third Grand Slam experience, having previously qualified for the US Open qualifying rounds twice, the latest being in 2025. His impressive ATP ranking of 172 allows him to compete in the Australian Open. His climb in the ATP standings began in August with a victory over Chinese Taipei’s Hsu Yu-hsiou, which was followed by consecutive wins at the Columbus and Tiburon Challengers in September. Most recently, Zheng reached the semifinals of the Noumea ATP Challenger in New Caledonia but lost in three sets to France’s Arthur Gea.
Fans looking to follow his journey in the tournament can do so through ESPN+, as well as through Columbia men’s tennis social media channels on X (@CULionsMTEN), Instagram (@culionsmten), and Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics). With his strong performance and rich experience, there is hope that Zheng will continue to excel in this prestigious event.