Zheng Qinwen powers into final on debut at WTA Finals
The Chinese star defeated Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova 6-3 7-5.
Debutante Zheng Qinwen continued her brilliant run of form to reach the final of the WTA Finals in Riyadh.
The Chinese star went into her semi-final against Barbora Krejcikova having won 30 of her last 35 matches and powered her way to a 6-3 7-5 victory.
Zheng is the second Asian player to reach the final of the season-ending event after her compatriot Li Na, and the youngest since Petra Kvitova in 2011.
Wimbledon champion Krejcikova has been the surprise package of the Finals, beating Coco Gauff on Thursday to book her place in the last four and eliminate defending champion Iga Swiatek.
Zheng looked in complete control at a set and 3-0 up but one poor service game let Krejcikova back in and the Czech almost forced a decider.
However, 22-year-old Zheng forced a break of serve in the 11th game of the second set and went on to take her second match point.
The Olympic champion said in her on-court interview: “It feels so special. This is my first WTA Finals and right now I’m just in a final. That’s really unbelievable.
“It was tricky because at 3-0 I think I dropped my focus, my performance went down and then she played more free. #
“I didn’t panic, I just said let’s get back my focus. It was a really hard match for me but it just shows I’m mentally strong.”
