By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday October 12, 2024

Zheng Qinwen’s dream season continues.

A campaign that started with a trip to the Australian Open final, then peaked with Olympic singles gold in Paris, has now yielded a milestone on home soil in China. Zheng defeated compatriot Wang Xinyu 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday to become the first woman from China to reach a WTA 1000 final in China.

“Now at the age of 22, being a finalist at the 1000 level, especially in Wuhan, this is a really big surprise,” Zheng said after the win. “With this achievement, I'm really happy.”

Zheng, seeded fifth and ranked seventh, will face No.1 seed Aryna Sabalenka for the title on Sunday. Sabalenka edged Coco Gauff earlier on Saturday, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4.

“Sabalenka, she's a really aggressive player, but I'm aggressive, too,” Zheng pointed out to reporters. “So we will see tomorrow.”

In a high quality affair between two main draw debutantes, 51st-ranked Wang put steady pressure on her compatriot in the first all-Chinese semifinal at the WTA 1000 level.

Wang broke back and consolidated to level the opening set at 3-3, but Zheng broke critically for 5-3 and finished the set by winning 10 of the final 11 points.

In the second set the pair traded breaks to get to 4-4 but Zheng pulled away again, breaking for 5-4 and serving out the win in the next game.

“I had many break points, but I wasn't able to convert them,” Wang said. “I saw the gap between us. There's so many things I need to improve through this match. I am presenting a performance against a top player. I'm happy with my performance today.”



Zheng finished with 24 errors to nine for Wang. Zheng (25) made two more unforced errors than her opponent.

Zheng, who leads all WTA players with 24 wins since the start of Wimbledon, will bid for her third title of 2024 against Sabalenka, and her first at the WTA 1000 level. Sabalenka and Zheng have met three times previously, all at the Grand Slams, with the Belarusian winning all six sets and three matches they have contested.

Two-time champion Sabalenka has yet to drop a match in Wuhan, winning all 16 of her matches and claiming titles in 2018 and 2019.

The 26-year-old World No.2 is bidding for her 17th career WTA title.

She’ll have to do it against a stadium full of Zheng supporters, but she’s confident nevertheless.

“This tournament feels like playing at home,” Sabalenka said. “Being the third time in the finals, hopefully I'll get this beautiful trophy tomorrow.

“But no expectations on support from the crowd. I have my team. I have my family. I have a lot of people who support me around the world. I'll just focus on that.”