Two years after losing the title match in Japan, Qinwen Zheng is back in another at the Tokyo Open, keen to outdo Sofia Kenin, whose impressive week continued to make Sunday's final.
The former world No. 4 and 2020 Australian Open champion upset ninth seed Katie Boulter in the day's first semi-final to make her first championship match in 2024, while the top-seeded Chinese defeated Diana Shnaider 7-6 (5), 6-3 in two sets.
Match preview
© Imago
Although Zheng got the better of her Russian opponent in straight sets, Saturday's semi-final could have gone awry had the world No. 7 not refocused after losing a 4-1 lead in the first before trailing 5-6 on serve.
She dug deep to hold serve and won the tie-break before avoiding the first-set dip that forced Shnaider back into the opener to seal her spot in Sunday's final — her second in Tokyo.
The 2022 final went Liudmila Samsonova's way against a then-teenage Zheng, appearing in her first WTA Tour title match at 19, but she still gave a good account of herself as Samsonova won 7-5, 7-5.
Now an undoubtedly superior player, the 22-year-old bids for a fourth singles title on the Tour and second in 2024 to seal a positive Asian swing.
Zheng made the title match in Wuhan only to fall in three sets against her bogey opponent, Aryna Sabalenka, but she aims to be on the right side of the outcome against Sunday's in-form player.
© Imago
On the opposite side of the net is Kenin, who showed why she is a one-time Grand Slam champion in Saturday's 6-4 6-4 triumph over Boulter.
The American player had the measure of the British No. 1, finding the corners with her well-placed groundstrokes and having the variety to mix things up by going for the odd drop shot.
Boulter advanced to the semi-final without dropping a set, but she had no answers to the 25-year-old, who entered the tournament in Japan as a wild card and was ranked 155 in the world before progressing to her first final since last September.
Although that final in San Diego ended in defeat to Barbora Krejcikova, the 2020 Australian Open champion and two-time finalist at the Slams aims for a different outcome in her first title match in 13 months.
However, that ambition could be scuppered after an emotional Kenin was forced to retire in her doubles semi-final on Saturday, suggesting she may not enter Sunday's encounter in peak health.
Tournament so far
Qinwen Zheng:
First round: Bye
Second round: vs. Moyuka Uchijima 7-5 6-0
Quarter-final: vs. Leylah Fernandez 6-0 1-6 6-3
Semi-final: vs. Diana Shnaider 7-6(5) 6-3
Sofia Kenin:
First round: vs. Wang Xinyu 6-1 6-4
Second round: vs. Clara Tauson 6-7(8) 6-4 7-6(6)
Quarter-final: vs. Daria Kasatkina 6-3 6-4
Semi-final: vs. Katie Boulter 6-4 6-4
Head To Head
Although the WTA 500 decider will mark both players' first meeting on the women's tour, Zheng is the clear favourite owing to her year-long consistency.
However, the Chinese player enters Sunday with a 4-4 record in finals (2-2 in 2024), while Kenin has a 5-3 record in such matches, with the American player's five victories coming in her first six.
She has since suffered consecutive losses against Iga Swiatek at the 2020 French Open final and last year in San Diego against Krejcikova.
Having notched her 12th career win over a top-10 opponent in the quarter-final success over Kasatkina, the 25-year-old seeks a second in Tokyo and 13th overall.
We say: Zheng to win in two sets
Having made the semis in Beijing before losing to Karolina Muchova and the final in Wuhan, where she lost to Sabalenka, Zheng seems primed to claim the title against Kenin, who suffered a seeming physical setback that forced her to withdraw during her doubles semi-final.
Thus, we are backing the Olympic gold medallist to notch the decider in straight sets for a fourth singles title.
