RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Nov 4, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Zheng Qinwen improved her 
chances of advancing to the semi-finals at the WTA Finals with a 7-6 (7/4), 
3-6, 6-1 victory over world number five Elena Rybakina in Riyadh on Monday.

The seventh-seeded Zheng rebounded from her opening round-robin defeat by 
Aryna Sabalenka by claiming her first win from three meetings with Rybakina.

Meanwhile, Rybakina suffered a second defeat in as many matches this week in 
Saudi Arabia and is facing elimination, with one more round-robin clash to go 
against Sabalenka on Wednesday.

During her on-court interview, Zheng apologised to the Chinese fans in the 
stands for "losing control" of her emotions at one point during the match, 
admitting she was "harsh" in her reaction to them, and thanked them for their 
support.

"I'm really happy to have won this match because I never beat her before and 
she's one of the greatest players right now on tour, huge serve and great 
groundstrokes," said Zheng.

"I didn't take my chances in the second set but I was able to come back in 
the third and I stayed focused.

"I had to stay really focused on my service games, because here, both of us 
are destroying our serves, it's really tough to return."

Zheng arrives in Riyadh on the back of an impressive second half of the 
season that saw her win titles in Palermo and Tokyo, and an Olympic gold 
medal in singles in Paris. No woman has won more matches than her within that 
span.

The first Chinese player to qualify for the WTA Finals since Li Na in 2013, 
Zheng amassed a 12-2 win-loss record during the Asian swing last month and is 
the tour leader in most aces struck and percentage of first-serve points won.

Rybakina's second part of 2024 could not have been more different.

The Kazakh had played just two matches between Wimbledon and the WTA Finals 
as she struggled with allergies, insomnia, and a back injury.

After saving a pair of break points on her own serve in the third game, Zheng 
made her move, breaking Rybakina en route to a 4-1 advantage.

Rybakina wiped out her deficit, attacking Zheng's second serve, and was soon 
on level terms at 4-4.

The set fittingly went to a tie-break which Zheng sealed on a long forehand 
from Rybakina on the 58-minute mark.

In a pattern similar to the opening set, Zheng carved out a lead in the 
second frame, only for Rybakina to strike back and even the score. This time 
though, the big-hitter took four games in a row to claim the second set and 
force a decider.

Zheng shook off early trouble on her serve in the final set before surging 
ahead 4-1. It was the boost she needed to wrap up the win -- the ninth of her 
career against a top-10 opponent.