Qinwen Zheng back in contention at the WTA Finals, after “staying focused” to beat Elena Rybakina

Qinwen Zheng in contention of qualifying for the semifinals of the WTA Finals after beating Elena Rybakina in the second Group match.

Qinwen Zheng back in contention at the WTA Finals, after “staying focused” to beat Elena Rybakina

Qinwen Zheng and Elena Rybakina (via Reuters)

Qinwen Zheng continued her brilliant form this season after scoring her first win at the WTA Finals in Riyadh. The 22-year-old star fought hard to earn a three-set victory over Elena Rybakina, which makes her the second Chinese after Li Na to win a match at the prestigious year-end event.

Zheng lost her opening round-robin match against Aryna Sabalenka and was in dire need to get back to winning ways. She got off to a positive start, breaking Rybakina’s serve to go up 4-1. But, she lost the momentum, leaving her opponent to level the match in time. Both players pushed for a tiebreak, with Zheng claiming the first set win 7-6(4).

YouTube video

Zheng continued in the same fashion in the second set, leading 3-2, but Rybakina rallied into the match, winning the next four games in a row to force the tie to a third. However, the Chinese star did well to compose herself in the deciding set, with Rybakina showing signs of rust. Zheng went on to win 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-1.

FS Video

The win was Zheng’s 50th victory of the season. She became the first Chinese player in the Open Era to secure 50 WTA-level match wins in a calendar year. During her on-court interview, she revealed that staying focused in the game gave her an edge over Rybakina.

I think to stay focused in your service game. Both of us are destroying our serves. It’s really tough to return. Just taurine to hold every single point.

Qinwen Zheng said in the post-match interview

On the other hand, Rybakina has now lost two consecutive matches at the WTA Finals. The tournament is her first competition since the US Open second-round withdrawal in August. She showed signs of rust which was expected after skipping several tournaments in recent weeks.

RELATED
Former US Open champion reveals how the Big 3 edge Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz Jannik Sinner and Big 3

Qinwen Zheng excited after earning her first win over Elena Rybakina

Qinwen Zheng’s win over Elena Rybakina was her fourth Top 10 win of the season. The 22-year-old star became popular after beating Iga Swiatek at the Paris Olympics semifinals and went on to claim the Olympic gold for China. She claimed her first title of the 2024 season at the Palermo Ladies Open.

Qinwen Zheng
Qinwen Zheng (Image via X)

She consolidated her performance at the Asian swing with the Tokyo Open title. On Monday (November 4), Zheng earned her first win over Rybakina after losing their two previous meetings. She revealed during the aforementioned interview that she was excited for the victory.

I’m really happy to win this match. I never beat her before. She’s one of the greatest players on the tour right now. She has a huge serve and great groundstrokes. I’m just happy today I gave my best.

Qinwen Zheng said

Meanwhile, Zheng will face Jasmine Paolini next in the third Group phase match on Wednesday (November 6). The tie is a must-win for the Chinese to qualify for the semifinals of the tournament.