Qinwen Zheng is now a three-time titlist in the 2024 season after she beat Sofia Kenin in the 2024 Japan Open in Tokyo.
The Chinese player relatively surprisingly won the title in Palermo earlier this year, and even more surprisingly, she won the Olympic Games in Paris after eliminating the biggest favorite, Iga Swiatek, on her way to the title.
Shortly after that, Zheng shocked the tennis world by admitting she had no idea about the qualification rules for the WTA Finals and that she was in a good position to qualify, but to do that, she needed to have a strong end of the season, and she did.
She played in the US Open quarter-finals and the China Open semi-finals before she reached the final in Wuhan. After that, she moved to Japan, where she competed at the last WTA 500 tournament of the season in Tokyo.
She made her way to the final, the same way also her opponent, Sofia Kenin, reached the final. The American player finally found some inspired level after struggling throughout the season, but still, she entered the final match injured.
Unluckily for Kenin, she injured herself in her semi-final doubles match, and that put her singles final participation in doubt. However, she appeared on the court, even though with a heavy strapping on her leg.
Still, the former Australian Open champion managed to be competitive. She faced six break points in the opening set of the match, but she managed to save all and force a tie-break.
However, Zheng was the better player in the tie-break, leading practically from the beginning, and even though she lost a one-break advantage twice, she still won the tie-break 7-5 to win the first set of the final match in Tokyo.
In the second set, the Chinese player could finally break her opponent's serve, and it came already in the second game, as Zheng established a 3-0 lead after that.
With her powerful serve, which produced an insane 16 aces in the match, Zheng couldn't be stopped, and she wasn't. She won the match 7-6(5), 6-3 to win the 2024 Japan Open and claim her third title of the season.
Speaking after her victory, the Chinese player admitted that she wanted to win the title in Tokyo since she was 19, as she lost in the Japan Open final in 2022, which was a disappointing experience for her.
Back then, Liudmila Samsonova proved to be too strong in the final for her, as the Russian player won 7-5, 7-5. This year, Zheng will be leaving Tokyo victorious, and she didn't hide her joy.
"I really appreciate that I’m able to fight through and be the champion in Tokyo. This is the one I wanted to get when I was 19 years old. I fight so hard, but I didn’t, I lost in the [2022] final. So this year, I’m just really happy."
Already prior to the WTA 500 tournament in Tokyo, Zheng had sealed her spot at the 2024 WTA Finals in Riyadh. Even if she didn't, her performance in the Japanese capital would secure her a spot in Saudi Arabia.
Now, she will switch her focus to the year-end tournament, as she wants to prove her qualities among the eight best players of this season.
"All the players [in Riyadh] are really tough to beat. Since the first match, [I] need to be focused. ... It’s the first time for me to play in the WTA Finals. I was so motivated. But let’s see what’s going to happen."
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