China’s rising tennis star Zheng Qinwen secured her first victory at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by defeating Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-1 on Monday. The thrilling match kept fans on the edge of their seats as Zheng battled through three intense sets to keep her semifinal hopes alive.
In the opening set, Zheng took an early lead, breaking Rybakina in the fourth game and holding serve to go up 4-1. However, Rybakina fought back, breaking Zheng in the seventh game after a double fault. The set went into a tiebreaker, where Zheng regained control and clinched the set with sharp serving.
The second set saw a reversal of fortunes. Zheng secured a break to lead 3-2, but Rybakina immediately responded, leveling the score. Despite Zheng earning two break points in the seventh game, Rybakina held firm, eventually taking the set to even the match.
Determined not to let the win slip away, Zheng dominated the decisive third set. She broke Rybakina’s serve twice, extending her lead to 5-1 before confidently serving out the match.
Expressing her joy after the win, Zheng acknowledged Rybakina as one of the greatest players on the tour and was pleased to have maintained her focus to secure the victory.
Meanwhile, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus secured her spot in the semifinals by defeating Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 7-5, marking her second win at the tournament.
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Zheng Qinwen defeats Kazakhstan's Rybakina for first win at WTA Finals
cgtn.com
