By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday, October 13, 2024
Zheng Qinwen could not find a way through Aryna Sabalenka in Sunday’s Wuhan final, but the rising Chinese finally got a head start on her rival and feels good about the improvements she made after losing to Belarus in straight sets in their first three meetings.
“I thought the match today was better than last time,” she said, referring to her loss to Sabalenka in this year’s US Open quarterfinals (won by Sabalenka, 6-1, 6-2). “I see there are places I need to improve.”
In the end, Zheng, her best critic, gave herself a “five or six out of ten” for Sunday’s performance.
Although she said she has been feeling under the weather for the past two weeks, Zheng again showed tremendous fight as she pushed Sabalenka to a decision on Sunday. She believes she is making inroads against the three-time major champion.
“I think watching the game, it became more clear today,” said No. 7 of the World. “At the critical points of this match, I have to increase the speed. I was a little conservative. Shaking my racket when I got conservative made more unforced errors. She forced me to see some of the weaknesses in my tactics. I can’t wait to train. I’m looking forward to the next match against her.”
Sabalenka has taken notes on the steps that Zheng is also taking.
“She definitely improved,” she told reporters, referring to Zheng’s form in 2023. “There’s more consistency in her game. Maybe we will play a little more aggressively. I think she improved her backhand a bit. There are certainly improvements. She’s moving well, serving well. I see improvements.
“I’m very happy that even with these improvements I’m still able to get these wins against her.”
The 22-year-old Zheng, coached by Pere Riba, says she is looking forward to closing the gap in the coming months and years.
“After this loss, I feel excited because every time I am doing better,” she said. “There is more room for improvement. I hope I can close the gap and also overcome this challenge.”