Qinwen Zheng wins in Tokyo and secures a place in the WTA Finals

TOKYO (AP) — Top-seeded Qinwen Zheng of China claimed the Toray Pan Pacific Open with a 7-6 (5), 6-3 victory over American wild card Sofia Kenin in Sunday’s final to secure her place. place in the WTA final next month. .

Zheng, number 7 in the ranking, who won gold at the Paris OlympicsHe fired 16 aces and faced just one break point during the 1 hour and 52 minute victory in Tokyo over 2020 Australian Open champion Kenin.

It is the third title of the year for Zheng, 22, and the first on hard courts, which she won in Guangzhou last year. She is 28-4 since Wimbledon, including a 12-2 streak in the Asian swing of the women’s tour.

It was the best performance of the season for the 25-year-old Kenin. The American was ranked No. 4 at the start of 2020, but a series of injuries, including ankle and quadriceps ailments, have seen her WTA ranking fall to the current No. 155.

The WTA Finals begin in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on November 2.