Qinwen Zheng will play in the semi-finals of the 2024 WTA Finals in Riyadh after beating Jasmine Paolini in the last round-robin match.
The WTA Finals format is special, and players might not be used to it, but the last match between Zheng and Paolini in their round-robin stage was very straightforward.
With both having one win at the event so far, the winner of this meeting would secure the semi-final spot, joining Aryna Sabalenka in advancing from the Purple Group.
Both lost to Sabalenka, and both bested Elena Rybakina, which meant that with one win each, only one could join the Belarusian player at two wins, while Rybakina had now chance to advance.
They met three times before, and every time they played, one of the players had a home-court advantage. In 2023, they played in Palermo, Italy, and it was the Chinese player who won.
Zheng then had the home advantage last year in Zhengzhou and this year in Wuhan, again winning in both of those matches, meaning she entered their WTA Finals meeting without a loss against the Italian.
Paolini wanted to change that, and she had a nearly perfect start to succeed in that mission. She won her first service game to 15 and then led 30-15 in the second game of the match, coming a point away from a break point.
Unfortunately for Paolini, little did she know that was the closest she would get to winning this match. She lost that second game, and after that also the following five games in the first set.
She didn't even have any break point chances, while Zheng broke her in every single game to win the first set of the match 6-1. That set the tone for the remainder of the match.
Paolini had a break point in the first game of the second set, but she couldn't use it. Although the Italian won the second game to win it 1-1, a similar scenario to that of the first set followed.
Zheng won five games in a row to win also the second set and match 6-1, 6-1, securing her 2024 WTA Finals semi-final spot. As a second player from her group, she will play against the winner of the other group. At the moment, Coco Gauff looks like the most likely adept to win that group.
Zheng also became the first Chinese woman to reach the semi-finals of the WTA Finals since her idol Li Na did it in 2013, and also the youngest player to reach the semi-finals in her debut since Petra Kvitova in 2011. Naturally, she was excited about the win and reaching the semi-finals.
"It’s almost 11 years ago. I’m proud I could make it. I didn’t know what would happen when I came here because it was my first time. I just told myself to enjoy it. Especially, because I’m in a really difficult group. Thanks to all the fans who came to watch me tonight. Thanks for all your support."
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