‘Unbelievable’ – Zheng reaches WTA Finals showpiece

Zheng Qinwen continued her great season with victory over Barbora Krejcikova to reach the final of the season-ending WTA Finals.

China’s Zheng reached the final of the Australian Open in January before claiming Olympic gold in the summer.

She now has a chance to claim another prestigious title after beating Wimbledon champion Krejcikova 6-3 7-5 in the semi-finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Zheng let a double break lead slip away in the second set before rediscovering her form to secure the victory.

“It feels so special, to be in the final is incredible,” said the 22-year-old.

“It was a difficult match for me, but it shows that I am mentally strong at that moment.”

She will face world number one Aryna Sabalenka, who beat her in the round-robin stages earlier in the week, or Coco Gauff on Saturday.

Zheng is only the second Asian player to reach the final after her idol Li Na in 2013.

Crowds have been mixed at the tournament, but Zheng has been a consistent draw in Saudi Arabia, with large numbers of Chinese fans cheering her on against Krejcikova.

Her game is simple: a big serve, followed by an equally forceful groundstroke, which initially worked to great effect against Krejcikova.

She moved around the court well, bullying Krejcikova out of rallies before the Czech took advantage of a drop in form to force the second set at 3-3.

Zheng became increasingly frustrated, not helped by her service game being stopped twice by a crying baby, and her shots becoming wilder, but she stayed within touching distance of Krejcikova.

A thunderous backhand return gave Zheng a break point at 5-5, and she converted it with a long Krejcikova forehand to serve for the match.

Although Krejcikova put pressure on her again, and Zheng had to fend off another break point, she finally claimed a straight sets victory when the Czech went wide with a forehand.