Wuhan Open 2024 Final: Aryna Sabalenka vs Zheng Qinwen preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (1) Aryna Sabalenka vs (5) Zheng Qinwen
Date: October 13, 2024
Tournament: Wuhan Open 2024
Round: Final
Venue: Optics Valley International Tennis Center, Wuhan, China
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $3,221,715
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN
Aryna Sabalenka vs Zheng Qinwen preview
Top 10 players Aryna Sabalenka and Zheng Qinwen will clash in the final of the Wuhan Open 2024 on Sunday.
Sabalenka commenced her title defense with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Katerina Siniakova. She rallied from a set down to beat Yulia Putintseva 1-6, 6-4, 6-0, and then secured a comfortable 6-2, 6-2 win over Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals.
Sabalenka was up against familiar rival Coco Gauff in the semifinals. The former was outplayed by the latter in the opening set and could muster only one game in it for herself. The second set started with five breaks of serve, and the American broke the trend with a hold of serve to make it 4-2.
The Belarusian's comeback commenced after that. She nabbed the next four games to take the set and put herself in the driver's seat in the third set as well with a 3-0 lead.
However, Gauff clawed her way back into the match and pushed the score to 4-4. Sabalenka then held serve to make it 5-4 and broke her opponent's serve in the following game to wrap up a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 comeback win.
Zheng kicked off her campaign in Wuhan with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Jaqueline Cristian. She staged a comeback to beat Leylah Fernandez in three sets and needed three sets to beat Jasmine Paolini in the quarterfinals as well.
The 22-year-old faced compatriot Wang Xinyu for a spot in the summit clash. The Olympic champion squandered an early lead in the opening set but recovered towards the end with a three-game run to claim the set.
Zheng put herself ahead twice in the second set, only for Wang to level terms immediately. The former broke the latter's serve once again in the ninth game to go 5-4 up and served out the match after that for a 6-3, 6-4 win.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Zheng Qinwen head-to-head
Sabalenka leads Zheng 3-0 in the head-to-head. She won their most recent encounter en route to the US Open title this year in straight sets.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Zheng Qinwen odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Aryna Sabalenka vs Zheng Qinwen prediction
Sabalenka staged a remarkable comeback to snap Gauff's nine-match winning streak. The win also extended her unbeaten run in Wuhan to 16 matches, and she's yet to lose a match here in her career.
Zheng has now advanced to her first WTA 1000 final, though it won't be easy against her nemesis Sabalenka. The former has lost to the latter in straight sets on all three occasions and hasn't won more than five games per match.
However, this could be Zheng's time to shine. Sabalenka does feel the heat when the crowd goes against her, with her loss to Gauff in last year's US Open final being a prime example.
Gauff's service woes, which included 21 double faults, also helped Sabalenka to edge past her in the semifinals here. The Belarusian's clean sheet in Wuhan makes her the favorite to win the title, along with her record against Zheng. However, the latter's recent performances suggest that she could rise to the occasion and make the home crowd proud with a win.
Pick: Zheng Qinwen to win in three sets.