The Global Times reported on Oct. 14 that the 20th China Open produced its first Chinese-born champion, with Zheng Qinwen lifting interest in the event. According to Xinhua and others, Zheng beat Mirra Andreeva 2-0 in the women's singles final on Oct. 11.
The Global Times ran a piece on Oct. 14 whose headline, in translation, said the 20th China Open produced its first home-grown champion and that Zheng Qinwen's presence has kept the event's market buzzing. We could not open the article body, so we cite only what the headline carries and verified the match facts through Xinhua and the Guangming Daily. Both said the final was played on the evening of Oct. 11 on the blue hard courts of Beijing.
광고 문의 · 300×250According to Xinhua, Zheng, 24, beat Russia's Andreeva in straight sets in the women's singles final. Andreeva was the tournament's No. 4 seed and the French Open women's champion. Zheng took the first set 7-5 after trailing 0-2 early and, Xinhua said, saving three set points when Andreeva served for the set at 5-4. The full second-set score did not appear in the reports we reviewed, but with the set level at 4-4 Zheng broke in the ninth game and then closed out the match with an ace on her own serve.
The records and the road back
Xinhua reported that Zheng became the first Chinese-born women's singles champion in the event's 20 editions. She is also the first wildcard to reach the final and win the title, and it is her first WTA 1000 trophy. She won seven straight matches on the way, with her first four going three sets and her last three in straight sets. According to the Guangming Daily, she beat Svitolina in the quarterfinals and Mertens in the semifinals, and she had defeated Andreeva 5-7, 6-0, 6-4 in this event's 2024 quarterfinals.
The meaning of the title is tied to the past year's ups and downs. Xinhua said Zheng spent about a year recovering from elbow surgery and struggled for form, but signaled a rebound at the US Open, where she came back from 1-5 down in the third set to reach the quarterfinals. This tournament came shortly after she turned 24 on Oct. 8. After the trophy ceremony, Xinhua added, she sang a song at an event held in the stadium.
In the women's doubles final the same day, Zhang Shuai, partnering the Czech Republic's Siniakova, lost to Canada's Dabrowski and Brazil's Stephani. A home player topping the singles draw is unprecedented in the tournament's history, and the Global Times headline voiced expectations for China's tennis market and crowd enthusiasm. We could not confirm specific attendance or commercial figures.