By Alberto Amalfi | @Tennis_Now | Friday, February 2, 2024
Wang Yafan rallied past Katie Volynets 1-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) to set up an all-Chinese Hua Hin semifinal vs. second-seeded Zhu Lin.
Photo credit: WTA Thailand Open Facebook
Wang Yafan knows all about dancing on the edge of decisive tiebreaker pressure.
Today, Wang showed fast feet and a flair for the key strike fighting into the Hua Hin semifinals.
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World No. 78 Wang edged American Katie Volynets 1-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) to reach her first semifinal since she won the WTA 125 Stanford title last August.
Volynets won more total points (98 to 92) and broke serve one more time, but Wang showed tiebreaker toughness.
This win comes weeks after Wang lost a tough third-set tiebreaker to compatriot Zheng Qinwen 4-6, 6-2, 6-7(8) in the Australian Open third round. Zheng went on to reach the AO final falling to defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.
The victory vaults Wang into an all-Chinese semifinal vs. Zhu Lin.
The second-seeded Zhu swept Arina Rodionova 6-3, 6-3 on the strength of five service breaks.
Overall, world No. 78 Wang leads Zhu 4-3 in their head-to-head series though this will be their first meeting since 2019.
The other semifinal will pit No. 3-seeded Xinyu Wang against Diana Shnaider, who swept Hungarian Dalma Galfi 6-2, 6-1 in the quarterfinals.