Zheng Qinwen clinched WTA 500 honors in Japan by defeating Sofia Kenin, while Olga Danilovic secured her second career title in China after overcoming Caroline Dolehide. In Mexico, Marina Stakusic pulled off a stunning upset against Anna Blinkova to capture her inaugural WTA 125 title…
All the players [in Riyadh] are really tough to beat. Since the first match, [I] need to be focused. … It’s the first time for me to play in the WTA Finals. I was so motivated. But let’s see what’s going to happen. Zheng Qinwen
Tokyo | WTA 500 Toray Pan Pacific Open
Zheng Qinwen, currently ranked World No. 7, celebrated her third title of the season at the prestigious Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis in Tokyo on Sunday. Her victory came after a hard-fought battle against Sofia Kenin, propelling her impressive match-winning record to 28 wins and only 4 losses since the start of Wimbledon.
The Chinese player demonstrated exceptional resilience throughout the match, never allowing Kenin a single break opportunity on her serve. Zheng ultimately triumphed with a score of 7-6(5), 6-3, marking her first career encounter with Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion.
After the match, Zheng expressed her overwhelming joy: “I really appreciate that I’m able to fight through and be the champion in Tokyo. This is the one I wanted to get when I was 19 years old. I fight so hard, but I didn’t, I lost in the [2022] final. So this year, I’m just really happy.”
This year, Zheng also secured two titles on clay, celebrated winning the Gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and successfully defended her title in Palermo.
In her home country of China, she made significant strides in her career, achieving her first WTA 1000 semi-final in Beijing and soon after reaching the final in Wuhan.
After her remarkable journey began with reaching the Australian Open final earlier in the year, Zheng’s stellar performance towards the end of the season helped her earn a coveted spot at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, beginning on Saturday, November 2.
“All the players [in Riyadh] are really tough to beat,” Zheng noted. “Since the first match, [I] need to be focused. … It’s the first time for me to play in the WTA Finals. I was so motivated. But let’s see what’s going to happen.”
In the decisive moments, Zheng proved her mettle by breaking Kenin once in the second set while maintaining a nearly flawless service game throughout the encounter. The final took place under a closed roof due to weather disruptions experienced earlier in the match.
Zheng emerged as the ace leader on the tour, delivering an astounding 16 aces during the final, adding to her total of 406 for the 2024 season.
Although Kenin showed formidable resistance, especially in the first set where she faced five break points, Zheng outlasted her and secured the set after 67 minutes, winning every first-service point throughout the opener.
In a tense second set, Zheng faced a lone break point at 4-2 but quickly extinguished the threat with a powerful serve. With a championship point at hand at 5-3, Zheng ultimately sealed the victory after Kenin’s shot sailed long.
This was a significant achievement for Zheng, as this marked the second occasion she entered a tournament as the No. 1 seed, emerging victorious both times—in Palermo earlier in the summer and now in Tokyo.
The 22-year-old Zheng will retain her No. 7 position in the rankings, though she will narrow the gap with No. 6 Jasmine Paolini.
Later on Sunday, the homegrown doubles team of Shuko Aoyama & Eri Hozumi made headlines by winning the title at the Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis, shutting down their compatriots Ena Shibahara & Laura Siegemund from Germany in an all-Japanese finale, with a score of 6-4, 7-6(3).
They successfully claimed the title in just under two hours, despite struggling to serve out the match at 6-5 in the second set. However, they clinched the championship after capitalizing on their third match point during the tiebreaker.
This milestone victory marks Aoyama’s 20th WTA doubles title, her first in over a year, while Hozumi celebrates her 6th career WTA doubles title and her first at the tour level since 2022.
Guangzhou | WTA 250 Guangzhou Open presented by AVAIR
Serbia’s Olga Danilovic emerged victorious over Caroline Dolehide in Guangzhou, ending a six-year title drought with a commanding performance.
Ranked at No. 86, the 23-year-old Danilovic secured her second career Hologic WTA Tour title after dispatching the No. 101 qualifier Dolehide with an impressive score of 6-3, 6-1, in a match that lasted just 75 minutes.
This week marked a notable turnaround for Danilovic, who prior to this tournament had never progressed past the Last 16 at a tour-level hard-court event. She has been in formidable form throughout her title run in Guangzhou, only dropping one set as she bested Erika Andreeva, Diane Parry, Mananchaya Sawangkaew, and top seed Katerina Siniakova in the semi-finals.
“I’m so happy with the way I played the whole week, the whole tournament,” Danilovic remarked. “I’m proud of myself and my team. I showed what I can do and proved it to myself, which I think matters the most.”
In the final, Dolehide, who had battled back through three consecutive three-set matches to reach this point, experienced fatigue after an arduous tournament run where she had spent significantly more time on court than Danilovic.
The Serbian player improved her head-to-head record against Dolehide to an impressive 3-0, with this match marking the first time they faced off in under three sets.
Danilovic remained aggressive throughout the match, breaking Dolehide five times and yielding just one break herself while successfully executing exceptional passing shots when Dolehide attempted to come to the net.
In doubles competition, the top-seeded duo of Katerina Siniakova & Zhang Shuai triumphed at the Guangzhou Open, defeating Poland’s Katerina Piter & Hungary’s Fanny Stollar with a score of 6-4, 6-1.
Siniakova & Zhang did not drop a single set throughout the week, with Piter & Stollar being the only team to win more than three games against them in any set.
This win marks World No. 1 Siniakova’s 27th career doubles title and her fifth of the season, while former No. 2 Zhang claims her 14th career doubles title and first of the current season.
Prior to their run in Guangzhou, Zhang had already made three finals this year, competing in Seoul, Birmingham, and the US Open with Kristina Mladenovic.
Mexico | WTA 125 Abierto Tampico
In a thrilling display of skill and determination, 19-year-old Canadian Marina Stakusic secured her first WTA 125 title at the Abierto Tampico in Mexico, showcasing her immense potential.
Having entered the tournament as a qualifier, Stakusic stunned No. 5 seed Anna Blinkova from Russia with a competitive scoreline of 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, in a grueling three-set final that lasted 2 hours and 43 minutes.
Pushing through, the World No. 140 found herself down a break at 4-3 in the final set but managed to break Blinkova to love, equalizing the score and later saving four break points in a tense hold for 5-4, before breaking the Russian again to seal her victory.
This week, Stakusic notched up an impressive tally of seven wins, including two in qualifying, displaying her unwavering resolve as she fought through challenging encounters including overcoming Italian Lucrezia Stefanini in the quarter-finals and two tiebreak sets against Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo in the semi-finals.
In doubles, Canadian Rebecca Marino joined forces with American Carmen Corley, taking home the title after defeating the Russian duo of Alina Korneeva & Polina Kudermetova with a decisive score of 6-3, 6-3 in Friday’s final.
The all-unseeded team of Corley & Marino captured the title in just 64 minutes, converting 7 of their 9 break points throughout the match. This achievement marks the first WTA 125 doubles title for both players.
