Palermo Open: Zheng outlasts Muchova to win third title

Chinese Qinwen Zheng, the top seed and reigning champion, won the Palermo Open trophy by beating second seed Karolina Muchova 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 in two hours and 49 minutes at A.S.D. Country Time Club on Sunday evening.

This was Zheng’s 10th consecutive win at the tournament and the first time she has successfully defended a title on the WTA Tour.

“It was a really tough match, because I think she’s an amazing player,” Zheng said after her win as quoted by the WTA Tour. “She volleys really well. And then she has a tough drop shot for me. There (were) lot of ups and downs. … I (was) trying to be more aggressive in the third set and I’m happy that worked out.”

The win levels the head-to-head between the two players at 1-1 with Muchova having won their previous meeting in Madrid on clay in 2022.

Zheng, ranked No 7 in the world, defeated Italian Sara Errani (6-3, 6-2), Croat Petra Martic (6-4, 6-4), Romanian Jaqueline Cristian, the No 7 seed (6-1, 6-1) and Frenchwoman Diane Parry, the No 4 seed (7-5, 6-4) ahead of her win today.

Despite the loss, it was a positive week for Muchova, who was playing only her third tournament back after being off the tour due to injuries from the US Open until the start of the grass court season.

Earlier in the tournament, Muchova, ranked No 35, defeated Pole qualifier Katarzyna Kawa (7-6 (14), 5-1 ret.), German qualifier Noma Noha Akugue (6-7, 6-2, 6-3), Australian Astra Sharma (7-6 (5), 7-6 (6)) and Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu (6-1, 6-1).

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