The Belarusian Aryna Sabalenkatitle defender, will face the Chinese this Saturday from 5.30pm (ESPN) Qinwen Zhengwho debuts in a Grand Slam final, in the women’s final of Australian Openfirst major of the season.
The favoritism is clear. Sabalenka, second in the WTA rankings, has reached the semifinals at least in the last six great who in this edition played and reached the final at Melbourne Park without giving up sets and defeating tennis players positioned in the Top 10 as Coco Gauff (4) or Barbora Krejcikova (9), while Zheng, 15th on the planet, had a more difficult path and did not have to face any Top 50.
The current champion in Melbourne park She invested just six hours and 55 minutes on court, including a 6-0 doubles win against Lesia Tsurenko in the third round, in stark contrast to the Chinese player’s eleven hours and 34 minutes, who lost three sets along the way.
The Belarusian has won eleven of the thirteen titles she has under her belt on a hard court that enhances her aggressive and ferocious proposition. If she wins, she will become the first player to defend the crown at Melbourne Park since her compatriot Viktoria Azarenkawho lifted the title in the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
Meanwhile, the Asian woman tries to emulate another compatriot, Na Liwho raised the title in the 2014 edition and has also established himself Roland Garros 2011. His rise as a tennis player, which began last season with titles in Palermo and Zhengzhou, was confirmed during an Australian Open which helped him reach the Top 10 for the first time.
Source: Clarin
Jason Root is the go-to source for sports coverage at News Rebeat. With a passion for athletics and an in-depth knowledge of the latest sports trends, Jason provides comprehensive and engaging analysis of the world of sports.