In a highly anticipated match-up at the 2024 Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Finals in Riyadh, Chinese tennis ace Zheng Qinwen is set to face her longtime rival, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus. Scheduled to compete in the Purple Group, their encounter promises to be a thrilling showdown for fans worldwide.
Zheng has had a standout year, capturing titles at the Palermo Ladies Open, the Paris Olympic Games, and the Pan Pacific Open. Her impressive performance also saw her reach the Australian Open final, securing her spot as the No. 7 seed in the WTA Finals.
Despite Zheng's remarkable achievements this year, her head-to-head record against Sabalenka stands at 0-4. Their most recent clash took place in the women's singles final at the Wuhan Open, where Sabalenka triumphed with scores of 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.
The Purple Group also features Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan and Jasmine Paolini of Italy. While Zheng has yet to secure a win against Rybakina, she maintains a perfect 3-0 record against Paolini.
On the other side, the Orange Group boasts defending champion Iga Swiatek of Poland, along with Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula from the U.S., and Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic. This group has seen Sabalenka win two Grand Slam tournaments this year, including the Australian Open and the U.S. Open, while Swiatek dominated the French Open and Krejcikova claimed the Wimbledon title.
The top two players from each group will advance to the semifinals on November 8, with the finalists competing for the championship title on November 9. As Zheng prepares to take on Sabalenka once more, tennis enthusiasts are eager to see if she can finally secure a victory against her formidable rival.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
