Sabalenka beats local hero Zheng to win third Wuhan open title
Aryna Sabalenka made history on Sunday by becoming the first player to win the Wuhan Open three times. She defeated China’s Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in an intense final, maintaining an undefeated record of 17-0 at this tournament. Sabalenka, who also won the Wuhan Open in 2018 and 2019, claimed her fourth title of 2024, adding to her victories at the Australian Open, another Grand Slam, and the Cincinnati WTA 1000.
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In a rematch of their Australian Open final earlier this year, Zheng pushed Sabalenka to a deciding set in front of a home crowd of 13,000 fans at Wuhan’s Optic Valley International Tennis Centre. Although Zheng rallied to win the second set, Sabalenka took control in the third, achieving a double break to secure her victory after a challenging 2-hour and 40-minute match.
This win bolsters Sabalenka’s bid to end the year as world number one, with the final showdown likely to occur at the WTA Finals in Riyadh next month. Meanwhile, Zheng’s impressive performance has raised her standing in the Race to the WTA Finals, bringing her closer to becoming the first Chinese player since Li Na in 2013 to qualify for the season-ending championships.
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