Aryna Sabalenka outlasts local hero Zheng Qinwen to win third Wuhan Open tennis title
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WUHAN – Aryna Sabalenka became the first player to win the Wuhan Open three times by defeating local heroine Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in the final on Oct 13.
The top seed, who also triumphed at the event in 2018 and 2019, kept her undefeated record in Wuhan intact, improving to a perfect 17-0.
“That sounds crazy, and this place definitely feels like home,” Sabalenka said about the achievement.
“But first of all, I want to congratulate Zheng on an incredible week for her. Her and her team are doing an amazing job, well done. I’m pretty sure we are going to play many more finals against each other.
“And of course, thank you guys (crowd) for coming and bringing an amazing atmosphere out there. Even though you were supporting her, I really enjoyed playing in front of you. I got support throughout the tournament, so thank you so much.”
In a rematch of the 2024 Australian Open final, Sabalenka was put to the test by a gritty Zheng before she captured an Open era record fifth title on Chinese soil.
With two Grand Slam titles and a WTA 1000 success in Cincinnati under her belt already in 2024, Sabalenka picked up her fourth trophy of the season, from seven finals reached.
The 26-year-old strengthened her chances of ending the year as the world No. 1 ahead of Iga Swiatek, a battle likely to come down to the wire at the WTA Finals in Riyadh in November.
Zheng, 22, had never taken a set off Sabalenka in any of their previous three meetings, which have all come on the Grand Slam stage and in the last 13 months.
But the Oct 13 final was a different story, with Zheng, the Paris Olympics gold medallist, competing in front of her home fans, in the city where she grew up.
In front of a capacity crowd of 13,000 at the Optics Valley International Tennis Centre, Sabalenka broke for a 4-2 advantage on a Zheng double fault.
The Belarusian wrapped up the 38-minute opening set with her second ace of the match, dropping just five points on serve along the way.
Sabalenka looked on course for another routine win when she broke in the third game of the second set but Zheng had other ideas.
The world No. 7 retaliated immediately, and claimed her first-ever break of serve in all four showdowns with Sabalenka to get the set back on level terms.
The contest became a tug of war, with Zheng inching ahead 5-3 and Sabalenka pegging her back.
The moment of truth for Zheng came in the 12th game as she capitalised on a Sabalenka error to break and secure a set against her opponent for the first time to take the final into a decider.
Sabalenka raced to a double-break 3-0 lead in the final set.
Zheng almost erased her deficit but could not convert her chances as Sabalenka closed out the win after a 2hr 40min battle.
Zheng can still take positives from her week in Wuhan, where she is the first Chinese finalist in tournament history.
She has made a crucial jump in the Race to the WTA Finals, from No. 9 to No. 7, increasing her chances of becoming the first Chinese player since Li Na in 2013 to qualify for the season-ending tournament. AFP, REUTERS
