WTA Finals debutant Qinwen Zheng bids to advance to the championship match in Riyadh when she faces Barbora Krejcikova in Friday's semi-final.
The Olympic champion has a 2-1 record in her first appearance, just like her No. 13 Czech opponent, who became the lowest-ranked player since Sandrine Testud (No. 14) in 2001 to progress to the last four at the year-end tournament.
Match preview
© Imago
Zheng's second half of 2024 has arguably been the finest on the WTA Tour, with the 22-year-old Chinese player claiming Olympic gold at the Paris Games, reaching another quarter-final at Flushing Meadows, advancing to her first WTA 1000 final in Wuhan before recently claiming her second WTA 500 title at the Tokyo Open.
Although her competence on clay and hard courts will be beneficial going forward, her recent results make her a contender for the crown in Riyadh.
Zheng responded admirably after losing her tournament opener to Aryna Sabalenka by securing a first tour-level triumph over Elena Rybakina before dismantling Jasmine Paolini in her final round-robin match to set up Friday's last-four battle with the Wimbledon champion.
The 22-year-old has suffered only five losses since exiting in round one at the All England Club, with Sabalenka inflicting three of those defeats, demonstrating the Chinese player's superiority over a surfeit of players on the tour.
She bids to record a third victory in the year-end event to advance to the final on her debut at the Finals, but she must be wary of the tricky Krejcikova.
© Imago
The Czech has had a strange 2024: the 2021 French Open champion won no match on clay this season before a round-one exit at Roland Garros and claimed just two grass-court victories before an unexpected Wimbledon triumph.
Excluding her run to the quarters at the Paris Olympics, Krejcikova won two tour-level matches after recording success at SW19, a statistic that saw her chances in Riyadh played down before her tournament opener against Swiatek.
However, she has performed commendably this week to nearly defeat the 2023 Finals champion, outplay Jessica Pegula in straight sets and play with composure and top-class execution to defeat Gauff in her final round-robin match.
Thursday's victory over the American No. 1 saw the 28-year-old convert three of four break points (the 20-year-old failed to take advantage of 11 of 12 opportunities) to progress as group winner and, in turn, eliminate Swiatek.
Advancing means the world No. 13 is the lowest-ranked player since 2001 to feature in the year-end tournament's semi-final, making her a threat to Zheng and an outsider for the title in Riyadh.
Tournament so far
Qinwen Zheng:
Round Robin: vs. Aryna Sabalenka 3–6 4–6
Round Robin: vs. Elena Rybakina 7–6(4) 3–6 6–1
Round of 16: vs. Jasmine Paolini 6-1 6-1
Barbora Krejcikova:
Round Robin: vs. Iga Swiatek 6–4 5–7 2–6
Round Robin: vs. Jessica Pegula 6-3 6-3
Round Robin: vs. Coco Gauff 7-5 6-4
Head To Head
Zhengzhou (2023) - Final: Zheng 2-6 6-2 6-4
Zheng recorded success in the pair's only meeting on the WTA Tour, turning around a first-set loss to claim the title in Zhengzhou last year.
Krejcikova's two wins in Riyadh have taken her to four top-10 victories in 2024, matching 2021 and last year, and she aims to record a season-high to take her to 16 wins over the elite group.
We say: Zheng to win in three sets
Zheng's aggressive baseline game and powerful serve are expected to give her an edge over Krejcikova on Friday.
The Chinese player has shown impressive form throughout the tournament, and her ability to dictate rallies should prove crucial.
We predict Zheng will advance to the final, where she will face a tough challenge against either Sabalenka or Gauff.
