Qinwen Zheng explains what she has changed ahead of facing Coco Gauff at the WTA Finals.
The World number seven will face the 2023 US Open winner in the championship match as they each compete for the right to win the season-ending title for the first time.
They are the two youngest finalists at the WTA Finals since 2004, the year Maria Sharapova defeated Serena Williams.
Zheng first faced Gauff back in May and she suffered defeat, but ahead of their next clash, the Chinese player warns she is not the same player as six months ago.
How does Qinwen Zheng rate her chances against Coco Gauff at the WTA Finals?
Qinwen Zheng entered the WTA Finals just a week after winning the Tokyo Open title.
She has won 31 of her 36 matches since Wimbledon and is now one win away from claiming the WTA Finals trophy for the first time.
But though Coco Gauff is standing in her way, Zheng feels better prepared to take on the American than in their Italian Open clash in May.
“It’s tough to say. In a tennis match a lot of things can happen,” the Olympic champion told reporters in her press conference.
“Last time I remember the reason why I lost against her is because I was out of strength in the second set and I felt I couldn’t put any first serves in because I didn’t have any power any more. That’s why I tried to improve my physical part.
“After this past year I feel the situation is different. I have more endurance, it’s going to be a different match, different surfaces.
“She is obviously such a good player, winning slams at such a young age, it’s going to be a different challenge for me but I am really happy and excited to face that.”
How did Qinwen Zheng and Coco Gauff reach the WTA Finals championship match?
Zheng began her debut WTA Finals campaign with her fifth successive defeat to World number one Aryna Sabalenka.
But she quickly recovered to record a 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-1 win over Elena Rybakina, which ended the Kazak player’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals.
To ensure her path into the last four, Zheng thrashed Jasmine Paolini 6-1, 6-1 in her final group match before beating Barbora Krejčíková to reach the final.
Gauff started her third successive WTA Finals tournament with a straight sets win over compatriot Jessica Pegula, before claiming just her second win over Iga Swiatek to book a spot in the semi-finals.
Though she was beaten by Krejčíková in her final group contest, Gauff came back the following day and eliminated Sabalenka from the competition and in the process became the youngest woman to reach the final of the WTA Finals since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010.
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