Zheng Qinwen into Wuhan Open semifinals

Zheng Qinwen hits a return during her women's singles round of 16 win against Leylah Fernandez at the 2024 Wuhan Open, Hubei Province, Oct. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan)

WUHAN, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- China's Zheng Qinwen downed third-seeded Jasmine Paolini of Italy 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the semifinals of Wuhan Open here on Friday night.

The match lasted two hours and 14 minutes, with Zheng firing 10 aces to power her way into the semifinals.

The first set was tightly contested from the start. In the opening game, Zheng was first down 0-30, but showed great resilience to break Paolini's serve. Both players held their serves over the next few games, but Zheng then went on a three-game winning streak to take the set 6-2.

Paolini struck back in the second set, as she broke Zheng's serve twice to dominate the set with a 6-3 victory.

The decisive third set began with both players holding serve until 3-3. Zheng then shifted into a higher gear, breaking Paolini's serve and holding her own to close out the match 6-3, sealing her spot in the semifinals.

"Paolini played very well today. Her offense was extremely sharp, and this was definitely my most challenging match of the tournament so far," Zheng said after the match.

She also expressed gratitude to the home crowd for their support. "When I was low on energy, you kept me going. Your support made a huge difference, and I couldn't have reached the semifinals without you. Reaching two semifinals during the China season is definitely not just luck," Zheng added, reflecting on her recent run of success on home soil.

Zheng will next face her compatriot Wang Xinyu, who enjoyed a comeback victory over Ekaterina Alexandrova earlier on Friday. It marks the first time in history that two Chinese players will face off in a WTA 1000 event.

"Tomorrow's match will definitely be tough," Zheng noted. "Xinyu is feeling great in this tournament as she reached the semifinals. Moreover, no player who reaches the semifinals is weak."

"But tomorrow, both players are Chinese, so everyone can just sit back and enjoy the match. It won't be as stressful as today's match," she added with a laugh.