Zheng Qinwen outlasts Zhu Lin in Zhuhai; will face Haddad Maia in final

Chinese No.1 Zheng Qinwen secures a spot in the Huafa Technology WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai final after a grueling semifinal showdown against compatriot Zhu Lin. In a nail-biting match, Zheng emerged victorious with a 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 win after 3 hours and 19 minutes of intense competition.

Set on their home soil, the clash between World No.19 Zheng and 37th-ranked Zhu was highly anticipated. Zheng’s victory marked her eighth consecutive win, including her recent title at WTA 500 Zhengzhou.

Check out our photo gallery of Marathon Marvels 2023: All this year’s three-hour matches

Meanwhile, Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil will be matching up against Zheng in the championship match on Sunday. Haddad Maia, seeded No.8, comfortably defeated No.6 seed Daria Kasatkina with a score of 6-4, 6-1, securing her first final appearance of the year.

This final will be the first meeting between Haddad Maia and Zheng, both of whom achieved career-high rankings in 2023.

The evening semifinal in Zhuhai showcased a highly anticipated battle between two of China’s top-ranked WTA singles players. It was a rematch of the gold-medal match at the Asian Games, which Zheng had previously won 6-2, 6-4.

The winner of this rematch would become the second Chinese player to reach the Zhuhai final, following in the footsteps of Wang Qiang, who finished as runner-up to Ashleigh Barty in 2018.

The opening set set the tone for a marathon match, lasting 80 minutes and seeing Zheng secure a narrow victory. Notably, Zheng saved six break points during an 18-minute service hold at 4-3 and fought off two set points at 5-4.

Zhu retaliated in the second set, winning in 70 minutes and forcing two visits from the physio for Zheng. Both players had 13 winners each, but Zhu committed fewer unforced errors.

In the final set, Zheng regained her momentum while Zhu’s unforced error count increased. Zheng delivered powerful serves at crucial moments, including two aces in a hold for 3-0. Eventually, Zheng broke Zhu’s serve to take a commanding 5-1 lead and closed out the match with two saved break points in the following game.

In the first semifinal of the day, World No.19 Haddad Maia defeated 17th-ranked Kasatkina for the second time in their two meetings. The match lasted 1 hour and 33 minutes. Haddad Maia had previously defeated Kasatkina in straight sets in Doha earlier this year.

In their latest encounter, Haddad Maia showcased her exceptional serve, winning 80 percent of her first-service points and never facing a break point from Kasatkina. This win comes after Haddad Maia’s impressive performance at this year’s Roland Garros, where she reached her first Grand Slam semifinal.

Haddad Maia has performed exceptionally well in Zhuhai, securing three consecutive wins against Top 20 opponents. She previously defeated Madison Keys and Caroline Garcia in round-robin play before her victory over Kasatkina.

Notably, Haddad Maia remains undefeated in Zhuhai, having not dropped a single set throughout the tournament. She has also advanced to the final in the doubles event alongside her partner Veronika Kudermetova.