Chinese tennis star Zheng Qinwen poses with the champion's trophy after defeating Sofia Kenin of the US in the final of the Pan Pacific Open on October 27, 2024 in Tokyo, Japan. Photo: VCG

In the final WTA 500 Tokyo event, top seed Zheng Qinwen defeated Sofia Kenin in straight sets (7-6, 6-3) to claim the championship. This marks her third title of the season and the fifth of her career, bringing her overall record in singles finals to five wins and four runner-up finishes.

Zheng told the Global Times in a previous interview that her desire was to shift focus away from the spotlight of the Olympic singles gold medal and instead concentrate on WTA Tour events. Judging by her performance in this tournament, she has achieved that goal.

"I now approach everything with a more balanced mindset, especially during matches," she said.

The match was interrupted twice by rainfall, which led to a delay before the roof was closed, allowing play to resume. In the first set, both players held their serve, resulting in a 6-6 tie, which led to a tiebreak where Zheng won 7-6.

In the second set, Zheng's performance improved as she built a 3-0 lead with a break of serve. Both players then held serve, and Zheng ultimately took the set 6-3. Throughout the match, she recorded 16 aces with an impressive first-serve accuracy of 93 percent.

In the quarterfinals, Zheng defeated eighth seed Leylah Fernandez, winning her third straight semifinal appearance in the Asian tour. This victory brought Zheng's tally to 45 tour-level wins this season, setting a new record for Chinese players in a single season. On Saturday, she triumphed over sixth seed Anna Schneider to reach the final.

Kenin, ranked 155th, entered the tournament with a wildcard and has previously won titles at the Hobart, Mallorca, and Guangzhou WTA events, and reached the fourth round of the French Open this season. She captured her first Grand Slam title at the 2020 Australian Open, defeating Garbiñe Muguruza, and later reached the French Open final that same year. Zheng and Kenin had never faced each other before, making this their first encounter.

The 2024 WTA Finals will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from November 2 to November 9, making Zheng the second Chinese player to qualify for this prestigious event, following Li Na.

"As more promising Chinese talents make their mark at international events, this is sure to inspire a new generation of young players and increase participation in tennis across the country," Liu Yu, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.

"I've always believed that Chinese tennis will rise to among the best in the world. I'm confident that Chinese players can compete on the global stage and secure their place among the best from the world in the future," Zheng noted.