MATCH REPORT | 2024 Australian Open: Qinwen ZHENG reaches maiden Grand Slam final, sets up Aryna SABALENKA showdown

WTA
Thursday, 25 January 2024 at 13:29
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Qinwen Zheng is into the 2024 Australian Open final after taking down Dayana Yastremska in straight sets and has done her part of the task and set up a showdown with defending champion, Aryna Sabalenka which will take place on Saturday in Melbourne. It was a 6-4, 6-4 win for the Chinese Number One who will move into the top 10 next week.

Ten years on from Li Na's triumph, 'Queenwen' could yet reign supreme at the Australian Open after seeing off the Ukrainian who after previously being towards the top 20 came from qualifying to nearly emulate Emma Raducanu in only the fifth player to reach the latter stages from the pre tournament qualifier, but she bows out to the Chinese ace. She is just the second tennis player from China to reach a Grand Slam final.

Yastremska started the brighter of the two despite both players being all over the place. Two double faults from Yastremska made it 0-40 to Zheng at 2-0 and the Chinese ace broke from there to make it 2-1. She levelled up, but the Qinwen factor was always there as Yastremska kept edging ahead and it snapped at 4-3 with the Chinese ace pouncing on a poor forehand from Yastremska to get three break points. It took all three though to get the job done and Zheng went 4-3 up.

Yastremska called the trainer from there and left the court seemingly with a right lower ab problem. But no signs of pain from there on her serve as she made it 4-5 forcing Qinwen to serve it out and she did just that to make it 6-4. But what looked like a simple task in the second from Qinwen Zheng turned into serve problems as despite going 2-1 up, Yastremska held firm at 2-2 to break back and held for a 3-2 lead. Zheng broke in the next game forcing errors and she fired Yastremska wide of the mark to go 4-3 up and held serve from there to make it 5-3.

Yastremska asked the question though of the Qinwen Zheng serve though by holding and forcing her to serve it out. She did just that in just under 50 minutes to claim her spot in the final.

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