Qinwen Zheng over the moon as she books final berth with win over Barbora Krejcikova in first appearance at WTA Finals
Qinwen Zheng defeated Barbora Krejcikova to become the first Chinese player since Li Na in 2013 to reach the summit clash of the WTA Finals.
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Qinwen Zheng, Barbora Krejcikova (Images via X)
Qinwen Zheng and Barbora Krejcikova battled it out in the semifinals to secure a berth in the WTA Finals for the first time. But it was Zheng, who continued to surprise the tennis world with her impressive game, sealed the final spot with a 6-3, 7-5 win on Friday (November 8).
Zheng somehow went past Krejcikova in the first set and capitalized on her lead in the second set. But the 28-year-old made an impressive comeback and took a lead of 5-4. Zheng, however, was not ready to give up, and quickly won the 10th and 11th games.
Zheng had multiple match points, but Krejcikova tried her all to remain in the tournament. Nevertheless, it was too late for her. After the match, Zheng said the win was special because she will be playing her first WTA Finals after qualifying for the year-end event for the first time.
It feels so special. This is my first WTA Finals, and now I’m in the final. It’s unbelievable. She’s a perfect player. We had a good match. I don’t know what happened when I was leading 3-0. I want to say thanks for all the support from the fans. You gave such an amazing atmosphere.
Qinwen Zheng said after the match
Zheng became the first Chinese player to win 50 matches in a single season. She also became the first Chinese player to reach the summit clash of the WTA Finals since Li Na in 2013.
Qinwen Zheng’s head-to-head record with Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka
In the second semifinal, Aryna Sabalenka will be locking horns with Coco Gauff. Zheng has met both these players on the WTA Tour but against both, the 21-year-old trails in the head-to-head records.
She has squared off against Sabalenka four times and lost all the matches. Thrice they have met this season, which includes two encounters at Grand Slam events (Australian Open final and US Open quarterfinals). They last locked horns in the final of the Wuhan Open. Against Gauff, Zheng played just once in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Rome Open.
Zheng will be bidding to win her third title on the WTA Tour after Palermo Ladies Open and the Japan Open. The Chinese also scripted history at the Paris Olympics after winning the gold medal.
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Gouri Das
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