China Open WTA:<\/b> Qinwen Zheng produced a stellar performance in front of the home fans to beat sixth seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in the quarterfinal of the China Open WTA tournament 6-3, 7-6(6) in Beijing on Friday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Zheng, who celebrated her 24th birthday on Thursday, defeated Svitolina after breaking her four times in a one-hour-and-47-minute battle. <\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
This is now her second China Open semifinal and her first WTA 1000 semifinal this year. She had reached the last-four stage in Beijing in 2024 too, where she suffered a loss to Karol\u00edna Muchova.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Zheng has her second top-10 win of the season, having previously beaten Iga Swiatek in the US Open Round of 16. She will now hunt for her first Masters 1000-level title, having won two WTA 250, two WTA 500 and an Olympic gold previously.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Coming to the match, wildcard Zheng broke her opponent three times in the first set. She opened the match with a break, followed by another in the seventh game. However, Svitolina kept things alive momentarily when she broke the Chinese in the ninth game when Zheng was serving for the set at 5-3. However, the recently-turned 24-year-old broke back again to bag the first set 6-3. <\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Both players kept holding their serves until the Ukrainian broke Zheng in the seventh game of the second set to move ahead 4-3. However, the Chinese broke back soon to level things at 4-4, after which the two players held their serves for the set to enter the tie-break.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Zheng was trailing 0-2 in the tie-break but won the next four points for a 4-2 lead before things were levelled at 6-6 again. However, Zheng clinched the match on her second match point at 8-6 to close the set and the match.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"She performed excellently in the second set. That tie-break was really so close. Both of us played at a really high level. Honestly speaking, I really wanted to win this match, so I felt nervous when I hit the balls,\" Zheng said after the win, as quoted by Xinhua.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Zheng was trailing 0-2 in the tie-break but won the next four points for a 4-2 lead before things were levelled at 6-6 again. However, Zheng clinched the match on her second match point at 8-6 to close the set and the match.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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