Chinese tennis sensation Zheng Qinwen continued her remarkable run at the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday, defeating Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 6-1, 6-1 to secure her place in the semifinals.
Zheng’s victory makes her the second Chinese player ever to reach the women’s singles semifinals at the WTA Finals, following in the footsteps of Li Na’s historic achievement in 2013.
Entering the match with confidence, having won all three of her previous encounters against Paolini, Zheng showcased her dominance from the outset. The Paris Olympic gold medalist broke Paolini’s serve three times in the opening set, delivering a flawless love game in the sixth to wrap up the set swiftly.
Paolini struggled to find her footing in the second set, conceding two more breaks and falling behind 5-1. Despite a valiant effort to level the seventh game at deuce, the world No.7 Zheng responded with two powerful serves, including an ace that sealed her emphatic victory.
“I am really proud that I can make it because I didn’t know what would happen when I came to this WTA Finals,” Zheng said after the match. “It’s my first time, so I just told myself to enjoy it. Actually, I played in a very difficult group. I want to thank the fans who came to watch me today.”
In the other Purple Group match, Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan defeated world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. However, Sabalenka’s progression to the semifinals remains unaffected by the result.
“It was a tough match,” Rybakina reflected. “It’s nice to finish the year with at least one win against the world number one. She has all the chances to win. Every match I played here was a bit better. It’s not easy after such a long break. Today I served really well.”
Reference(s):
Zheng Qinwen beats Jasmine Paolini, reaches WTA Finals last four
cgtn.com
