By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday October 25, 2024
The 22-year-old dynamo defeated Leylah Fernandez to reach the semifinals in Tokyo.
Photo Source: Getty
It was a match of streaks, and red-hot Zheng Qinwen got the better of it.
The World No.7 took out Leylah Fernandez, 6-0, 1-6, 6-3, to advance to the semifinals at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. She will face Russia’s Diana Shnaider for a spot in the final on Saturday.
Zheng achieves victory for the second time in three weeks against Ferndandez, the top seed improving to 2-2 overall against the World No.35 as she makes her second career appearance in Tokyo.
Zheng has won 10 of 12 matches since the start of the Asian swing after holding Fernandez at bay in a topsy turvy three-set afair. She won the first seven games of the match, then lost the next six as Fernandez rifled through the middle set.
In the third Zheng righted the ship and immediately jumped out to a 3-0 lead before holding off the No.8 seed en route to victory in one hour and 47 minutes.
The Chinese star improves to 45-16 on the season and is bidding to win her third title of the season this weekend. She also improves to an impressive 20-4 in deciding sets – proof that she hasn’t just been good, she’s been good when it matters most.
Kenin Snaps Kastkina’s Streak
A champion at Ningbo last week, where she claimed her 8th career title, Ninth-ranked Daria Kasatkina saw her win streak snapped at five by former Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin. The American wild card reaches her first semifinal since 2023 Guadalajara by notching her 12th career Top 10 win, 6-3, 6-4 over Kasatkina.
She’ll face Katie Boulter, who defeated Bianca Andreescu 6-2, 6-1.