By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, January 25, 2024
Zheng Qinwen used a 12-point run to take charge of the second set sparking a 6-4, 6-4 sweep of Dayana Yastremska to reach her maiden major final at the Australian Open.
Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty
Melbourne’s motto is four seasons in a day.
Beneath the closed roof of Rod Laver Arena, Zheng Qinwen calmly threw down thunder for a major breakthrough.
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Channeling her inner chill, Zheng defeated Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska 6-4, 6-4 advancing to her maiden major final at the Australian Open.
“It feels unbelievable,” Zheng said. “I’m super excited to have such a great performance today and arrive in the final.
“It’s tough to explain my feelings now. Thanks for all the support and thanks to my team as well.”
Celebrating her happy days at the Happy Slam, the 21-year-old Zheng is the youngest Chinese to reach a Grand Slam singles final achieving the feat 10 years after her tennis hero, Li Na, beat Dominika Cibulkova to capture the 2014 AO championship.
As a child, Zheng and her classmates watched Li Na clinch that 2014 championship on TV in school.
Last week, Zheng met Li Na for the first time at Melbourne Park where the pair engaged in an embrace and her hero encouraged the No. 12 seed to “keep it simple”.
Prior to Novak Djokovic’s quarterfinal conquest of Taylor Fritz, the 10-time AO champion took time to chat with Zheng exhibiting his zen “chill” before a stress test that set an example for the semifinal debutant’s mental state.
“I really want to learn that chill from the top players, because I think that is what I miss, yeah. I mean, was really nice conversation with Novak,” Zheng said.
After dropping serve in her opening service game, Zheng settled in and saved five of the final six break points she faced winning 76 percent of her first-serve points and 50-percent of her second-serve points against damaging returner Yastremska.
The victory vaults Zheng to a career-high No. 7 in the live rankings and a meeting with big-hitting Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday’s final.
Reigning champion Sabalenka stopped US Open champion Coco Gauff 7-6(2), 6-4 to become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2017 to reach back-to-back Melbourne finals.
The second-seeded Sabalenka snapped Gauff’s 12-match major winning streak scoring her 13th consecutive Australian Open victory as she stands within one win of becoming the first woman to successfully defend Melbourne since her compatriot, Victoria Azarenka, beat Li Na to do it back in 2013.
Sabalenka, who pounded 33 winners avenging her US Open final loss to Gauff, has won 26 of her last 27 sets in Melbourne Park. The world No. 2 has not dropped a set since she out-dueled Elena Rybakina 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the 2023 AO final.
It will be Sabalenka's third major final in her last five Grand Slam appearances. Sabalenka surrendered just nine points on serve in her 6-1, 6-4 demolition of Zheng in their lone prior meeting in the 2023 US Open quarterfinals last September.
“I think her forehand is really heavy. Yeah, and she's moving well also,” Sabalenka said of Zheng. “Fighting for every point. Yeah, I think her forehand is really her best shot.
“I would say forehand, it's quite heavy. Yeah, she played really great tennis, putting her opponents under pressure, playing really aggressive tennis, and I think that's why she's -- she will be top 10, right? That's why she's in top 10.”
Glancing at Zheng’s draw, you can diminish her result by pointing to the fact she’s yet to beat a Top 50-ranked opponent en route to the AO final. However, Zheng continues an excellent start to the season, raising her record to 8-1.
Playing with poise and closing power against explosive Yastremska, Zheng has now won 16 of her last 18 matches entering the final with her lone losses in that span coming to world No. 1 Iga Swiatek and Brazilian lefty Beatriz Haddad Maia.
The best streak of her career has sprung from loss. Wim Fissette, Zheng’s coach, dropped her last fall to return to coaching Naomi Osaka. Zheng concedes Fissette’s departure, which she called “an unethical end” left her in tears.
Rather than throwing a pity party, Zheng reunited with coach Pere Riba, who helped guide Coco Gauff to the 2023 US Open, and went back to work training in Barcelona. On Saturday, Zheng will play for a maiden major title and biggest pay day of her life.
The 2023 WTA Most Improved player continues her inspired run. Zheng is through to her first Grand Slam final in just her ninth major appearance.
The first qualifier to contest the Australian Open women’s singles semifinals since Christine Dorey in 1978, Yastremska was calmer at the start.
In a match of maiden major semifinalists, Zheng saved three break points in her opening service game only to see Yastremska hammer a diagonal backhand for a fourth break point.
An inability to consistently land her first serve cost the Chinese, who slapped a shot into net as Yastremska broke for 2-0.
Decelerating her Yonex racquet at times, Yastremska tightened in a sloppy four double-fault game to gift-wrap the break back.
Settling in, Zheng cruised through six straight points to level.
Chinese flags were flying in the crowd as Zheng lifted her level a half hour into the match.
Zheng, who trains in Spain, made a fine sliding forehand get, raced to the opposite sideline and drilled a dagger of a backhand pass crosscourt. That running strike helped Zheng earn triple break point at love-40 in the seventh game.
Early in that seventh game, Yastremska clutched at her stomach as if she strained an abdominal while striking a running forehand.
Rushing through points, Zheng committed three straight unforced errors, but drew a floated forehand for a fourth break point. When Yastremska sailed a backhand, Zheng had the break and a 4-3 lead, while the Ukrainian, pointing to her abdominal, requested the trainer.
The world No. 93 left the court to take treatment for the abdominal, while Zheng stayed on court and hit some practice serves.
The 12th seed is a streaky server—Zheng arrived in this semifinal with the most aces (44) and double faults (32) of any woman—but tamed her toss in the eighth game confirming the break for 5-3 when Yastremska badly bungled a volley attempt.
Slamming down a 109 mph ace brought the Chinese to set point. Zheng missed a backhand down the line on set point, but bolted a serve winner down the T for a second set point.
Driving a forehand down the line, Zheng drew a running forehand error to snatch the 55-minute opener winning four of the last five games.
Leaving the court again after the opening set, Yastremska returned to face an onslaught.
Zheng fired a forehand down the line for triple break point—her third triple-break point game of the match—then broke at 15 for a 2-1 second-set lead.
Centering her returns deep down the middle, Yastremska jammed Zheng with a hip-hugging return to break back and level after four games.
Snapping off successive aces, Zheng sealed a love hold—her third love hold of the match—for 3-all.
Turning her hips and shoulders into a fierce forehand return, Zheng rattled out a forehand error for another triple break point advantage.
The pair went toe-to-toe in a crackling rally right down the middle the Zheng again coming out one shot better for the love break. That streak of eight straight points put the Chinese up 4-3.
Steamrolling through 12 points in a row, Zheng stamped a confident hold at 15 for 5-3.
Serving for the final, Zheng pushed a volley long on the first point and dodged a bullet when Yastremska slapped a forehand sitter into the tape.
Shouting some of her loudest “come ons” of the match, Zheng watch Yastremska hammer a backhand return winner for 30-all.
A second serve into the body elicited an error earning Zheng match point. Zheng zapped a serve winner down the T to cap a calm victory vaulting her into her maiden major final 10 years after her hero, Li Na, ruled Melbourne.