WTA Finals Riyadh—Saudi Arabia
Zheng Reaches Riyadh Final; Shapovalov Advances to Belgrade Final
Olympic Gold Medal winner Qinwen Zheng reached the finals of the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia on Friday, defeating Wimbledon winner Barbora Krejcikova, 6-3, 7-5.
Needing one hour and 40 minutes to advance, Zheng hit nine aces, won 78 percent of her first serve points and broke serve on four occasions.
The Chineses star, who has been in great form as of late, will next face either No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka or No. 3 Coco Gauff in Saturday’s final.
Sabalenka and Gauff have played on eight occasions, with the pair winning four matches each.
No. 2 seed and five-time Major winner Iga Swiatek was eliminated from the competition on Thursday when Krejcikova defeated Gauff in the group stages.
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Belgrade Open—Serbia
Talented Canadian Denis Shapovalov continued his dream run at the Belgrade Open in Serbia on Friday, defeating No. 4 seed Jiri Lehecka 6-2, 6-1.
Shapovalov, who is returning to action this year after a knee injury, continued to prove why he is one of the most talented players on the circuit when healthy.
Striking four aces and winning 96 percent of his first serve points, Shapovalov broke the serve of his Czech opponent on four occasions during the 56 minute encounter.
The former top 10 player will next face either Laslo Djere or Hamad Medjedovic for the title on Saturday.
The Serbians will meet for the third time on Tour, with the pair splitting their first-two matches.
Friday’s Results in Metz
Friday’s semifinal results at the Moselle Open in Metz, France featured former BNP Paribas Open winner Cameron Norrie advancing to the finals, defeating home-country favourite Corentin Moutet 6-2, 7-6(5).
Using his experience and fitness to edge toward victory, Norrie hit three aces, won of 61 percent of his first serve points and broke his opponent on four occasions.
The Brit, who will be aiming to win his sixth career title, will next face either No. 8 seed Alex Michelsen or French qualifier Benjamin Bonzi.
Michelsen, who is up to No. 44 in the rankings, will be aiming to reach his fourth career final. The 20-year-old has yet to win a Tour title.
Bonzi, who entered the event ranked No. 124, did not have a Tour level victory all season prior to entering Metz. The 28-year-old has been ranked as high as No. 42 in the world in February or 2023.
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