Zheng Qinwen Reaches China Open Final as First Chinese Player

Prior to Zheng's victory, Chinese players had not won a semifinal match in the event, going 0-7. Zheng's solid performance marked a significant turnaround, as she started strong and managed to secure eight of the final ten games after a tight opening set.

This win marks Zheng's 11th final on the WTA Tour, and her second at the WTA 1000 level. In her post-match interview, she expressed gratitude for the support at the tournament, stating, "The China Open treats me really well. I always want to give my best here. It's like the fifth Grand Slam for me."

Zheng will face No. 4 seed Mirra Andreeva in the final, who advanced earlier in the day with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Nikola Bartunkova. Zheng previously defeated Andreeva in the 2024 China Open quarterfinals, rallying from a set down.

Reflecting on her growth as a player, Zheng noted that both she and Andreeva have matured over the last two years and acknowledged Andreeva’s recent success at the 2024 Roland Garros. "She’s always a tough opponent because she’s always there fighting. A very consistent player," Zheng said. "I would say it is not an easy match, but I'm also a tough player. Tomorrow is going to be a hard battle."

Zheng's journey to the final has been challenging. Entering as a wild card, she played three consecutive matches that went to a third set, overcoming No. 15 seed Anna Kalinskaya and No. 18 seed Marie Bouzkova, before defeating Alina Charaeva, who had previously upset Elena Rybakina. Zheng then triumphed over No. 6 seed Elina Svitolina in straight sets to reach the semifinals.

Throughout the tournament, Zheng has demonstrated aggressive play, hitting 32 winners against Mertens with only 16 unforced errors, achieving a 2-to-1 ratio. With 219 total winners at the Beijing event, she has produced the highest number in a single WTA event this season, surpassing Karolina Muchova's previous mark of 210 at Wimbledon.

Zheng is one of only three players to hit over 200 winners at a WTA 1000 event since Opta began tracking this statistic in 2021, alongside Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina. Additionally, she has logged the most time spent on court at a single WTA event this year, totaling 13 hours and 33 minutes across six matches.

At No. 54 in the PIF WTA Rankings, Zheng is the lowest-ranked player to reach the China Open final since 2004, exceeding the previous record held by No. 49 Muchova.