In an exhilarating clash at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Zheng Qinwen of the Chinese mainland secured her first win at the prestigious tournament by defeating Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan with scores of 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-1.
Zheng showcased her resilience early on by breaking Rybakina in the fourth game and maintaining a 4-1 lead in the first set. Despite a setback in the seventh game due to a double fault, Zheng’s sharp serving propelled her to win the tiebreaker, giving her a 1-0 lead in the match.
The second set saw intense back-and-forth action. Zheng converted a crucial break point to lead 5-3, but Rybakina fought back to level the set at 3-3. The set extended to a decider, where both players battled fiercely until Zheng broke Rybakina once more, sealing the set 6-1 and keeping her hopes of reaching the semifinals alive.
Expressing her joy, Zheng said, \"I'm really happy to win this match because I'd never beaten her before and she's one of the greatest players right now on tour. Even though I had a chance in the second set and didn't take it, I'm happy I came back in the third set and stayed focused.\"
Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus advanced to the semifinals after defeating Jasmine Paolini of Italy 6-3, 7-5. Sabalenka, the World No. 1, reflected on her teamwork, stating, \"I'm proud of myself. Not only myself, my team. We were able to overcome a lot of things… Those guys deserve to be called the best team ever.\"
Reference(s):
Zheng Qinwen defeats Kazakhstan's Rybakina for first win at WTA Finals
cgtn.com
