Beijing: The China Open women's singles final on Sunday will pit home favourite Qinwen Zheng against 19-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva, capping a tournament defined by comebacks and breakthroughs at the National Tennis Centre.
Zheng, a wildcard entry, charged into her home final on Saturday with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Belgium's Elise Mertens. The Olympic gold medallist and former world No. 4 struck 43 winners in the one-and-a-half-hour contest, racing to a 3-0 lead before holding her nerve in a tighter first set.
Zheng's comeback trail
The final is another milestone in Zheng's injury comeback. She has struggled for form since undergoing elbow surgery in 2025, but reached the US Open quarter-finals last month and has looked increasingly sharp in Beijing. "I had a great performance tonight," she told the crowd after the semifinal. "But I would not say I'm back. I would say the best version of me is still coming in the future."
Andreeva's breakthrough week
Earlier on Saturday, Andreeva sealed the first final berth with a dominant 6-2, 6-2 win over Czechia's Nikola Bartunkova in just 75 minutes. The world No. 5 fired 27 winners and never allowed Bartunkova, who had upset Aryna Sabalenka and Karolina Muchova earlier in the week, to settle.
The French Open champion is playing her fourth WTA 1000 final and has already secured a place at the season-ending WTA Finals. Victory on Sunday would lift her from world No. 5 to No. 3 in the rankings.
What to watch
The final sets up a contrast between Zheng's power game, backed by a roaring home crowd, and Andreeva's aggressive all-court play. "I wanted to play aggressive today," Andreeva said after her semifinal, adding that she calmed pre-match nerves by playing Uno with her coach.
Sources:
Dawn: Resurgent Zheng charges into China Open final with Andreeva
SuperSport: Resurgent Zheng charges into China Open final with Andreeva
Zheng, a wildcard entry, charged into her home final on Saturday with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Belgium's Elise Mertens. The Olympic gold medallist and former world No. 4 struck 43 winners in the one-and-a-half-hour contest, racing to a 3-0 lead before holding her nerve in a tighter first set.
Zheng's comeback trail
The final is another milestone in Zheng's injury comeback. She has struggled for form since undergoing elbow surgery in 2025, but reached the US Open quarter-finals last month and has looked increasingly sharp in Beijing. "I had a great performance tonight," she told the crowd after the semifinal. "But I would not say I'm back. I would say the best version of me is still coming in the future."
Andreeva's breakthrough week
Earlier on Saturday, Andreeva sealed the first final berth with a dominant 6-2, 6-2 win over Czechia's Nikola Bartunkova in just 75 minutes. The world No. 5 fired 27 winners and never allowed Bartunkova, who had upset Aryna Sabalenka and Karolina Muchova earlier in the week, to settle.
The French Open champion is playing her fourth WTA 1000 final and has already secured a place at the season-ending WTA Finals. Victory on Sunday would lift her from world No. 5 to No. 3 in the rankings.
What to watch
The final sets up a contrast between Zheng's power game, backed by a roaring home crowd, and Andreeva's aggressive all-court play. "I wanted to play aggressive today," Andreeva said after her semifinal, adding that she calmed pre-match nerves by playing Uno with her coach.
Sources:
Dawn: Resurgent Zheng charges into China Open final with Andreeva
SuperSport: Resurgent Zheng charges into China Open final with Andreeva
