Beijing, October 9 (Daily Kiran) : Zheng Qinwen delivered an impressive performance on Friday at the China Open WTA tournament in Beijing, defeating sixth-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine with a score of 6-3, 7-6(6). This victory secured her a place in the semifinals.
Celebrating her 24th birthday on Thursday, Zheng showcased her skills over the course of one hour and 47 minutes, breaking Svitolina’s serve four times. This marks her second semifinal appearance at the China Open and her first WTA 1000 semifinal of the year. Last year, she reached the final four in Beijing but was defeated by Karolína Muchová.
This win against Svitolina is Zheng’s second this season against a top-10 player. Earlier, she triumphed over Iga Swiatek in the round of 16 at the US Open. Now, she aims to capture her first Masters 1000 title, having already won two WTA 250 titles, two WTA 500 titles, and an Olympic gold medal.
In the match, Zheng, who entered as a wildcard, broke Svitolina’s serve three times in the first set. She started strong with a service break and added another in the seventh game. Although Svitolina kept hope alive by breaking Zheng’s serve in the ninth game while she was serving for the set at 5-3, Zheng quickly responded and secured the first set 6-3.
The second set saw both players consistently winning their service games. Svitolina broke Zheng’s serve to take a 4-3 lead in the seventh game, but Zheng quickly leveled the score at 4-4. The match progressed to a tiebreak after both held their serves.
In the tiebreak, Zheng fell behind 0-2 but rallied to win the next four points, taking a 4-2 lead. The score later tied at 6-6, but Zheng clinched the match on her second match point with a score of 8-6. After the match, she remarked, “She played exceptionally well in the second set. The tiebreak was really tough. We both displayed a high level of tennis. Honestly, I wanted to win this match, so I felt nervous when I was hitting my shots.”
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