Aryna Sabalenka and Qinwen Zheng will meet in the 2024 Wuhan Open final, and it promises to be a heavy-hitting spectacle.
Both of these players are able to hit harder than their opponents in the vast majority of the matches they play, but that advantage will be taken away from them in this final, as both will try their best to destroy the ball.
So far at the WTA 1000 event in Wuhan, Sabalenka has defeated Katerina Siniakova, lost a set against Yulia Putintseva, bested Magdalena Frech, and had to stage a comeback against Coco Gauff.
On the other hand, Zheng outplayed Jaqueline Cristian, had to complete a comeback against Leylah Fernandez in a heated clash, outplayed Jasmine Paolini in three sets, and bested also compatriot Xinyu Wang.
Speaking ahead of the final, both players focused on different things. While the Belarusian player wanted to avoid thinking about the Chinese crowd, which will support her opponent, Zheng didn't want to think about their previous matches, as she wasn't successful against her upcoming opponent in the past.
"This tournament feels like playing at home. Being the third time in the finals, hopefully I'll get this beautiful trophy tomorrow. But no expectations of support from the crowd. I have my team. I have my family. I have a lot of people around the world who support me. I'll just focus on that."
"Well, first of all, I think I should put my mind in a relaxed mood 'cause last time when I played against her, I was a little bit thinking too much, and I was not able to perform my tennis. So I wish tomorrow first of all I can perform my tennis well and after think about the tactic. Sabalenka, she's a really aggressive player, but I'm aggressive, too. So we will see tomorrow."
Aryna Sabalenka vs Qinwen Zheng Head-to-head:
The two met three times before, and almost every time, playing against Zheng meant major success for Sabalenka. She first bested her at the 2023 US Open, where she reached the final, beating the Chinese player 6-1, 6-4.
Then, the former World No. 1 won at this year's Australian Open, 6-3, 6-2, before claiming her second major at the tournament. After that, they met again at the US Open, where Sabalenka won her third career Grand Slam title. En route to that trophy, she beat Zheng 6-1, 6-2.
The H2H is quite brutal. The overall score shows 3-0 for Sabalenka, but when detailed even further, it shows even more dominance. The Belarusian player leads 6-0 in sets won, and 36-13 in games won.
| Aryna Sabalenka | Qinwen Zheng | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | H2H | 0 |
| 2 | Rank | 7 |
| 26 | Age | 22 |
| 53-12 | 2024 W/L | 37-15 |
| 413-186 | Career W/L | 212-91 |
Aryna Sabalenka vs Qinwen Zheng Prediction:
Although Sabalenka's dominance against Zheng in the past has been remarkable, two factors will be in play in Wuhan that weren't in play anytime they met before.
Every time the two played before, Sabalenka was absolutely dominant at that tournament, cruising without any issues. That hasn't been the case in Wuhan, as she lost a set to both Putintseva and Gauff.
In addition, for the first time, Zheng will have the advantage of playing in front of the home crowd, which could significantly help her. Still, Sabalenka is the favorite to win the match, and she likely will.
Prediction: Aryna Sabalenka to win in three sets.
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