Zheng Qinwen Reaches China Open Final to Face Mirra Andreeva
Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail
China’s Zheng Qinwen continued her impressive return from injury by defeating Belgium’s Elise Mertens in straight sets to reach the China Open final on Saturday.
The Olympic gold medallist secured a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Mertens in the semi-final at the National Tennis Centre in Beijing. She will now face Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva in the championship match of the tournament.
Zheng’s latest victory marks another important milestone in her comeback after elbow surgery in 2025 disrupted her form. The former world number four also produced a strong performance at the US Open last month, reaching the quarter-finals.
Speaking after her win, Zheng said she was pleased with her performance but stressed that she still had room to improve.
“I had a great performance tonight,” she told the crowd, while adding that her best tennis was still ahead of her.
The Chinese player made a strong start against Mertens, winning the opening three games with powerful groundstrokes and accurate shots. However, the Belgian fought back to level the set at 4-4.
Zheng remained composed under pressure and eventually claimed the opening set 7-5. She then controlled the second set, producing an attacking display to complete the victory in approximately 90 minutes.
The Chinese star finished the contest with 43 winners, underlining her growing confidence as she continues her return to top-level tennis.
Andreeva Dominates Bartunkova to Book Final Spot
Earlier, Mirra Andreeva secured her place in the final with a convincing 6-2, 6-2 win over Czech player Nikola Bartunkova.
The 19-year-old Russian, ranked fifth in the world, delivered an aggressive performance to overcome her opponent in 74 minutes.
Andreeva quickly established control of the opening set, moving ahead 4-0 as Bartunkova struggled with her serve and committed two double faults during the early stages.
Bartunkova, ranked 34th, made 20 unforced errors throughout the match, while Andreeva struck 27 winners to maintain her advantage.
The Czech player saved the first match point, but Andreeva converted her second opportunity to seal the victory and advance to the final.
After the match, Andreeva said she had focused on playing aggressively and remaining confident against a difficult opponent. She also revealed that playing the card game Uno with her coach had helped her settle her nerves before the semi-final.
Andreeva entered the final as the highest-seeded player remaining in the tournament after several leading contenders were eliminated.
Former champions and top-ranked players, including Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, had already exited following a series of surprising results.
The upcoming final between Zheng and Andreeva will bring together the home favourite’s comeback story and the Russian teenager’s bid for another major tournament title.
