China’s Zheng Qinwen beats Elena Rybakina at WTA Finals
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Zheng Qinwen's round-robin victory over Elena Rybakina in the WTA Finals on Nov 4 is her first career win over the Kazakh in three tries.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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RIYADH – Zheng Qinwen improved her chances of advancing to the semi-finals at the WTA Finals with a 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 6-1 victory over world No. 5 Elena Rybakina in Saudi Arabia on Nov 4.
The seventh-seeded Chinese player rebounded from her opening round-robin Group A defeat by Aryna Sabalenka by claiming her first win from three meetings with Rybakina.
It was Rybakina’s second defeat in as many matches this week in Riyadh and she was eliminated after world No. 1 Sabalenka of Belarus beat Italian Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 7-5 in the second Group A match to reach the semi-finals.
The Kazakh has one more round-robin clash to go against Sabalenka on Nov 6, while on the same day, Zheng will play Paolini – the winner will be in the last four.
During her on-court interview, Zheng apologised to the Chinese fans in the stands for “losing control” of her emotions at one point during the match, admitting she was “harsh” in her reaction to them, and thanked them for their support.
“I’m really happy to have won this match because I never beat her before and she’s one of the greatest players right now on tour, huge serve and great groundstrokes,” she said. “I didn’t take my chances in the second set, but I was able to come back in the third and I stayed focused.
“I had to stay really focused on my service games, because here, both of us are destroying our serves, it’s really tough to return.”
The 22-year-old arrived on the back of an impressive second half of the season that saw her win titles in Palermo and Tokyo, and the Olympic singles gold in Paris. No woman has won more matches than her within that span.
The first Chinese player to qualify for the WTA Finals since Li Na in 2013, Zheng amassed a 12-2 win-loss record during the Asian swing in October and is the tour leader in most aces struck and percentage of first-serve points won.
Rybakina’s second part of 2024 could not have been more different. The 25-year-old had played just two matches between Wimbledon and the WTA Finals as she struggled with allergies, insomnia and a back injury.
On Nov 4, in a pattern similar to the opening set, Zheng carved out a lead in the second frame, only for Rybakina to strike back and even the score. This time though, the big-hitter took four games in a row to claim the second set and force a decider.
Zheng shook off early trouble on her serve in the final set before surging ahead 4-1. It was the boost she needed to wrap up the win – the ninth of her career against a top-10 opponent.
On Nov 3, third-ranked American Coco Gauff secured a straightforward opening 6-3, 6-2 Group B win over her compatriot and US Open finalist Jessica Pegula in 75 minutes.
“She’s always a tough opponent. And these conditions against her, it’s tough,” said Gauff, who snapped a three-match losing streak to Pegula.
“But, overall, I’m just happy with how I played. Sometimes it was sloppy, sometimes it was great, but that’s tennis.
“I thought we both were playing at a high level. I just was able to break through on some of the more important points.”
The 20-year-old will next face five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek on Nov 5, knowing history does not favour her. Gauff has lost 11 of 12 matches against the 23-year-old Pole.
“Always playing her is tough. If I just play my game, I’ll just try to do that and hopefully come out with a win,” Gauff said.
Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic will take on Pegula in the other Group B clash.
Meanwhile, Croatia and Argentina have taken the last two spots in the field for the third edition of the United Cup mixed team tournament in Sydney and Perth at the start of next season, the organisers said on Nov 4.
Donna Vekic and Borna Coric will lead Croatia for the third straight year at the US$10 million (S$13.2 million) event as they battle it out with the United States and Canada in Group A, while Argentina will take on hosts Australia and Britain in Group F.
Argentina, who missed out on the 2023 United Cup after taking part in the inaugural edition, boast Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Nadia Podoroska as their top-ranked players.
The tournament starts on Dec 27 with the final in Sydney on Jan 5. AFP, REUTERS
