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Qinwen Zheng Advances to WTA Finals with Win Over Barbora Krejcikova

Qinwen Zheng defeated Barbora Krejcikova in straight sets at the WTA Finals.

Pat Benson

Qinwen Zheng defeated Barbora Krejcikova in the semifinals at the WTA Finals on Friday.
Qinwen Zheng defeated Barbora Krejcikova in the semifinals at the WTA Finals on Friday. / Danielle Parhizkaran-Imagn Images

Qinwen Zheng entered Friday's WTA Finals semifinals match against Barbora Krejcikova playing the best tennis of her life. The 22-year-old has enjoyed an incredible season, and not lost to anyone other than Aryna Sabalenka since early October.

Meanwhile, Krejcikova pulled off an epic upset over Coco Gauff yesterday which shook up the entire tournament. The seventh and eighth seeds faced off Friday, with Zheng taking the match in straight sets: 6-3, 7-5.

Zheng dominated the first set, showing a mix of power and accuracy. She broke Krejcikova's serve three times. Zheng only lost her serve once, and hit her seventh ace of the first set to take an early lead. However, Krejcikova did not fade away.

The 28-year-old battled back and took a 5-4 lead in the second set. But Krejcikova struggled with her serve, Zheng's power was too much. Zheng hit two aces and won the last two consecutive games to finish off the match in spectacular fashion.

Zheng said after the match, "It feels so special. This is my first WTA Finals, and now I'm in the final. It's unbelievable. She's a really good player. We gave a good match. I don't know what happened when I was leading 3-0 (laughs). I want to say thanks for all the support from the fans. You gave such an amazing atmosphere."

Zheng continues to be a trailblazer. She is the first Chinese woman to reach the final of the WTA Finals since Li Na in 2013. Additionally, she is the first Chinese player, man or woman, to win 50 matches in a single season.

With today's win, Zheng secures her spot in the finals and will either face the top-ranked Sabalenka or Coco Gauff on Saturday, November 9.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Previously, he has reported on the NBA, authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)," and interviewed some of the biggest names in the sports world. You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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