RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Zheng Qinwen cruised to a 6-1, 6-1 win over Jasmine Paolini to achieve the semifinals of the WTA Finals on Wednesday.
Zheng wanted simply over an hour to defeat Paolini within the match that determined the ultimate qualifier from the Purple Group on the season-ending match for the highest eight ladies’s gamers.
Prime-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, who had received her first two matches to clinch a semifinal spot, misplaced 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 to No. 5 Elena Rybakina. It was Rybakina’s first win of the round-robin section.
It was Zheng’s fourth win in as many matches in opposition to Paolini. The 22-year-old Chinese language participant had 12 aces and broke the Italian’s serve 5 instances.
“It’s among the best performances I had throughout this yr,” Zheng mentioned. “I’m actually proud. I performed in a extremely troublesome group.”
Zheng is the youngest participant to achieve the semifinals in her first look on the WTA Finals since Petra Kvitova in 2011. It’s her seventh semifinal of the yr and the primary time she has overwhelmed two top-10 opponents in the identical match. She defeated Elena Rybakina on Monday.
Zheng has received 30 matches since Wimbledon, clinching the Olympic gold medal in Paris and profitable titles in Palermo and Tokyo.
She might turn into the second participant to win the singles gold medal and attain the WTA Finals championship match in the identical season since tennis returned to the Olympics in 1988, after Serena Williams in 2012.
Paolini completed the season 38-19, having made the finals of the French Open and Wimbledon.
Jessica Pegula withdrew from her final match on the match due to a left knee damage. The American, who misplaced her first two matches and was already eradicated from semifinal competition, shall be changed within the Orange Group by first alternate and ninth-ranked Daria Kasatkina.
Kasatkina will play second-ranked Iga Swiatek on Thursday.
