China's Zheng Qinwen claims WTA 500 Pan Pacific Open title

TOKYO, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- China's tennis star Zheng Qinwen defeated Sofia Kenin of the United States 7-6 (5), 6-3 to clinch the title at the WTA 500 Pan Pacific Open on Sunday.

World No. 7 Zheng reached the final fresh off her runner-up finish at the Wuhan Open, marking her fifth final appearance this season. Two years after making her final debut in Tokyo in 2022, where she narrowly lost to Russian player Liudmila Samsonova in two sets, top seed Zheng secured the title this time around.

Sunday's final marked the first meeting between Zheng and former Australian Open champion Kenin, who also competed in the doubles event at this tournament.

The first set saw both players hold serve as Zheng squandered a few chances to break. A tense tiebreak followed, where Zheng took control of key points to prevail 7-6 (5), as the top seed racked up seven aces in the first set alone.

In the second set, Zheng continued her aggressive play, breaking Kenin early and leading throughout the set. She successfully held serve in a critical seventh game despite Kenin's pressure, ultimately closing out the match at 6-3 to secure a straight-set victory without allowing a single break. Tallying 16 aces across the match, Zheng won her second WTA tour title of the year after her victory at the Palermo Open.

After the match, Zheng expressed gratitude to her team, acknowledging their important role in her journey to this point. She also praised Kenin's determination, commending her on playing despite an injury and giving the audience a memorable final.

Zheng's next tournament is the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia in early November.