Qinwen Zheng entered the WTA Finals semi-final match against Barbora Krejcikova on Friday playing the best tennis of her life. The 22-year-old has had an incredible season and hasn’t lost to anyone other than Aryna Sabalenka since early October.

Meanwhile, Krejcikova pulled off an epic upset yesterday against Coco Gauff that shook up the entire tournament. The seventh and eighth seeds faced off on Friday, with Zheng winning the match in straight sets: 6-3, 7-5.

Zheng dominated the first set, showing a mix of power and precision. She broke Krejcikova’s serve three times. Zheng only lost his serve once and hit his seventh ace of the first set to take an early lead. However, Krejcikova has not disappeared.

The 28-year-old fought back and took a 5-4 lead in the second set. But Krejcikova struggled with her serve, Zheng’s power was too strong. Zheng hit two aces and won the final two games in a row to end the match in spectacular fashion.

Zheng said after the match: “It’s so special. It’s my first WTA final, and now I’m in the final. It’s incredible. She’s a very good player. We had a good match. I don’t know what happened when I was leading 3-0 (laughs).

Zheng continues to be a pioneer. She is the first Chinese woman to reach the WTA Finals since Li Na in 2013. Additionally, she is the first Chinese player, male or female, to win 50 matches in a single season.

With today’s victory, Zheng secures her place in the final and will face either Sabalenka or top-ranked Coco Gauff on Saturday, November 9.

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