It is another step in the Olympic gold medallist’s injury comeback, following a gritty showing at last month’s US Open where she reached the quarter-finals.
Zheng, a former world number four, had struggled with her form since needing elbow surgery in 2025 and is a wildcard entry in Beijing.
“I had a great performance tonight,” Zheng told the crowd afterwards.
But, she added: “I would not say I’m back. I would say the best version of me is still coming in the future.”
Earlier, Russian teenager Andreeva snagged the first spot in the final, brushing aside Nikola Bartunkova 6-2, 6-2.
“I wanted to play aggressive today,” said the 19-year-old, ranked five in the world.
Meanwhile, a moustached Carlos Alcaraz beat Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-3, 6-3 to kick-start his title bid at the Shanghai Masters on Saturday, days after winning the Tokyo Open for his first trophy since returning from injury.
The Spanish star, seeded second, put on a dominant show to brush aside the 55th-ranked Argentinian in the second round in just 66 minutes.
“Really, really happy with the way I played today. It wasn’t easy,” said the 23-year-old former number one.
“Just had two days of preparation… I came from Tokyo, there were totally different conditions,” he added. “Just tried to play the best that I can.”
Sporting a fresh moustache, Alcaraz signed a camera “Moustache Team” following his win.
Asked by an on-court interviewer about the new look, Alcaraz said: “It’s gonna stay.”
He will play either Ignacio Buse or Zizou Bergs in the next round. (AFP)
