January 25, (THEWILL) – Zheng Qinwen, the 12th seed at this year’s Australian Open, eased past Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska in straight sets to reach her first-ever Grand Slam singles final. The Chinese number one dominated throughout, winning 6-4, 6-4 in 1 hour and 42 minutes at Rod Laver Arena.
Zheng is the first player from China to reach the final in Melbourne since Li Na’s historic title win 10 years ago. Still, only 21 years of age, her controlled baseline game and clutch serving saw Zheng overcome early nerves to break the Yastremska serve at key moments in both sets.
The Ukrainian was impacted by stomach issues, requiring two medical timeouts, but Zheng stayed focused to close out a landmark victory. Over 12,000 vocal Chinese supporters roared their appreciation as Zheng secured victory on her first match point.
She will face defending champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in Saturday’s final after Sabalenka defeated American teenager Coco Gauff in three sets in the first semi.
“I’m super excited to reach my first Grand Slam final,” said an emotional Zheng afterwards. “Aryna is playing unbelievable tennis here this week but I will give my best effort and hope to keep fighting for each point.”
Victory will see Zheng make her top 10 debut in next week’s rankings. With a golden generation of Chinese stars lighting up the tennis world, Zheng surely will not be the last.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
