Zheng Qinwen, Krejcikova breeze into Zhengzhou final

In a remarkable display, Zheng Qinwen continued her impressive performance on home turf by defeating Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-3, securing her spot in the final of the Bank of Communications Zhengzhou Open.

Zheng, currently ranked 24th in the world, made her way to her third career singles final with this victory over the 31st-ranked Paolini at the prestigious WTA 500 event, marking her first appearance in a final on home soil.

Tomorrow, Zheng will face off against the No.7 seed, Barbora Krejcikova, in what promises to be an electrifying final. In the other semifinal match, 2021 Roland Garros champion Krejcikova dominated the court against No.8 seed Daria Kasatkina with a score of 6-3, 6-0 in a highly anticipated showdown between two Top 20 players.

Repeat Victory: Notably, Zheng had already defeated Paolini earlier this season on the Italian’s home ground during the Palermo final. This triumph was a momentous occasion for Zheng as she clinched her first-ever Hologic WTA Tour singles title.

Having conquered Paolini once again, the 21-year-old Zheng is just one win away from securing her second career title. Demonstrating her prowess, Zheng recorded an impressive 19 winners compared to Paolini’s seven, while also converting six out of 10 break points.

During the opening set, Zheng displayed an exceptional performance, not allowing Paolini to break her serve. However, Paolini proved to be a formidable opponent in the second set, breaking Zheng twice. This included a crucial break when the Chinese player served for the match at 5-2.

Nevertheless, Zheng showed resilience in the subsequent game. She chased down a drop shot and sealed the victory with an impressive winning shot, earning herself triple match point. On her second match point, Paolini succumbed to pressure and double faulted, ultimately conceding victory to Zheng and igniting the hopes of the home crowd.

Stay tuned for more updates…