Sabalenka completes three-peat in Wuhan by defeating Zheng
Aryna Sabalenka won the Wuhan trophy by overcoming Zheng in a three-setter on Sunday
Imago / Panoramic
Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, the top seed, defeated Chinese Zheng Qinwen, the No 5 seed, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 to win the Wuhan Open trophy at the Optics Valley International Tennis Center on Sunday.
Sabalenka and Zheng fought an intense battle that extended beyond two hours, 41 minutes, with the Belarusian coming out on top to claim her 17th title on the WTA Tour.
Also, she’s now on a 17-match unbeaten streak at the WTA 1000 event in Wuhan, which she won in 2018 and 2019. The tournament returned to the calendar this year for the first time since 2019 as the two-time defending champion completed a three-peat.
Sabalenka smashed five aces against Zheng’s five. The Chinese particularly struggled with her serve throughout the match, spraying eight double faults to end up with a below-par average of 42 percent on first serves.
Set 1: Sabalenka keeps her serve unchallenged
Sabalenka produced quality tennis in the opening set, denying Zheng any break-point opportunities on her serve. She created two break points on the Chinese serve, succeeding once in the sixth game.
The Belarusian maintained an impressive average of 83 percent on second-serve points against Zheng’s 40. She outperformed her opponent on second-serve return points as well, claiming 60 percent points against Zheng’s underwhelming 17.
In total, the duo played for 51 points in the first set, with the champion winning 31.
Set 2: Zheng fights back
Zheng fought back in the second set, bringing discipline to her tennis. Sabalenka drew first blood by breaking her serve in the third game but the world No 7 responded by breaking right back in the fourth.
The set saw three more break-point conversions, with two going the Chinese’ way.
Zheng’s second-serve win percentage improved to 47, whereas the Belarusian’s dropped to 38. She also fared better on second-serve return, registering an average of 62 percent against Sabalenka’s 53.
Set 3: Break points galore
The final set witnessed Sabalenka and Zheng exchange 13 break points, with the latter converting two times and the eventual champion twice as many.
The set opened with the world No 2 securing a double break before Zheng recovered one in the fourth game. Sabalenka, however, crossed the finish line with two more break points and stayed undefeated in Wuhan after her opponent saved two match points.
