BEIJING -- Home favorite Zheng Qinwen retired from her third-round match against Czech player Linda Noskova while trailing 6-4, 3-6, 3-0 at the China Open on Monday.

"It's really disappointing not to finish the match because I've always prided myself on fighting until the last point," Zheng said afterwards. "But this was my first surgery, and I don't want something more serious to happen. My team and I decided it was better to stop today."

After losing in the first round at Wimbledon in July, Zheng underwent surgery on her right elbow and missed more than two months of competitions, including the US Open. The China Open was her first event since returning from injury.

"I'm coming from surgery, so playing here was a tough but also the right decision for me," Zheng said. "I wanted to see where my body is right now, and these two matches gave me a clearer idea."

Arriving in Beijing as the seventh seed, Zheng received a first-round bye and opened her campaign with a straight-set victory over Colombia's Emiliana Arango in the second round before the clash against Noskova, whom Zheng had defeated twice in as many previous meetings.

"I already expected some pain before the tournament. These matches showed me that when I reach a certain level of intensity, the pain can get worse. That's why I had to make a conservative choice this time," she said.

Noskova, 20, seized the early initiative on the Diamond Court. She broke Zheng in the third game of the opening set and held her nerve under pressure to move ahead 3-1. Zheng hit back with aggressive shot-making to level at 3-3, but another lapse in the seventh game saw the Chinese star fall behind again. Serving for the set at 5-4, Noskova closed it out with a big first serve for 6-4.

The world No.9 responded strongly in the second set. At 2-2, Zheng stepped up her attack and broke for a 4-2 lead. Backed by a roaring home crowd, Zheng consolidated and then sealed the set 6-3 with a love hold, highlighted by a booming ace.

However, the deciding set swung abruptly against her. Zheng dropped serve in the second game with a flurry of unforced errors, and soon found herself trailing 3-0. After receiving a brief medical consultation courtside, the 22-year-old signaled she could no longer continue, bringing the contest to a premature end.

"Obviously, this is not the way you want to finish a match," said the Czech in her on-court interview. "I just wish Qinwen a speedy recovery. It's annoying to come back and deal with injuries, but I hope she can be back soon."

Noskova, who had ousted another Chinese player, Wang Xiyu, in the previous round, advanced to the last 16 in Beijing for the first time.

"Two years ago I had to retire here myself. So coming back now and making new memories, reaching the fourth round, is definitely a big plus for me," the world No 27 said.

Noskova will next face Russia's Anastasia Potapova for a place in the quarterfinals.

For Zheng, it was her third appearance at the China Open. After losing to Elena Rybakina in the first round in 2023, she reached the semifinals last year before falling to Karolina Muchova.

After a stellar 2024 season highlighted by her Olympic gold medal and a runner-up finish at the WTA Finals, Zheng's 2025 campaign has been full of ups and downs. She lost in the second round at the Australian Open, reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, and suffered an early exit at Wimbledon before the surgery.