Qinwen Zheng wins in Tokyo and clinches WTA Finals berth
China's Zheng Qinwen gestures after winning against Sofia Kenin of the United States in the final match of the Pan Pacific Open women's tennis tournament at Ariake Coliseum, in Tokyo, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. Credit: AP/Eugene Hoshiko
TOKYO — Top-seeded Qinwen Zheng of China claimed the Toray Pan Pacific Open with a 7-6 (5), 6-3 win over American wild card Sofia Kenin in Sunday’s final and clinch her place in the WTA finals next month.
The No. 7-ranked Zheng, who won gold at the Paris Olympics, fired 16 aces and only faced a single break point throughout the 1 hour, 52 minute victory in Tokyo over the 2020 Australian Open champion Kenin.
It is the 22-year-old Zheng's third title of the year and first on hardcourt she winning at Guangzhou last year. She has gone 28-4 since Wimbledon, including a 12-2 run in women's tour Asian swing.
It was the 25-year-old Kenin's best performance of the season. The American was ranked as high as No. 4 early in 2020, but a series of injuries, including ankle and quadricep ailments, has seen her WTA ranking drop to its current 155.
The WTA Finals begin in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Nov. 2.
