Qinwen Zheng powered her way into the WTA Finals semi-finals in Riyadh with a commanding victory over Jasmine Paolini.
In a clash for second place after both players had won and lost one, the 22-year-old dominated from start to finish.
The match lasted just 67 minutes, as Qinwen Zheng bulldozed past the Italian with a decisive 6-1, 6-1 victory.
Jasmine Paolini, a finalist at both the French Open and Wimbledon this year, struggled to match Zheng’s intensity, with the Chinese player firing 27 winners, including 11 aces.
Zheng, the reigning Paris Olympics champion, finished second in the group, just behind top seed Aryna Sabalenka, who had already confirmed her semi-final spot after defeating Paolini 6-3, 7-5 on Monday to secure the year-end number one ranking.
Qinwen Zheng makes history after reaching WTA Finals last four
A wondrous year for Zheng has been capped off by reaching her first WTA Finals.
Kicking the year off with a Grand Slam final appearance, Zheng has consolidated her real break-out season with Olympic glory, a Tokyo Open, and a rise into the top six.
While the debutant became the second Chinese woman to reach the last four of the WTA Finals after Li Na, she also managed to break another record with her latest win.
Zheng’s progression to the semi-finals makes her the first debutant since Petra Kvitova in 2011 to reach that stage.
If China’s new superstar needed any more encouragement after such a supreme display, Kvitova ended up winning that year, defeating Victoria Azarenka in the final.
It’s not the first time the 22-year-old has broken a WTA record this week, with Zheng’s history-making win over Elena Rybakina.
- READ MORE: Qinwen Zheng says what she now ‘needs’ to do at the WTA finals after winning the Tokyo Open title
Is Qinwen Zheng set for another clash with Aryna Sabalenka?
It may well end up being the clash that has headlined both player’s 2024 seasons.
Having met in Melbourne at the start of the year, Zheng’s surprise progression to the final put her on the map, despite a fairly resounding defeat to Belarus’ defending champion.
The pair have since played three times, with the Wuhan Open Final their most recent clash before their group-stage tie in Riyadh – which Sabalenka won in straight sets.
Zheng has only managed to take a set off Sabalenka in their five professional meetings, however has carefully managed to peak so well in 2024.
While the world number one is the hot favorite to sail to the title, Zheng’s payback will surely come someday – why not in the final on Saturday?
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