Rising Chinese star Zheng aiming for first WTA Tour title, will face Paolini in Palermo Open final
- Chinese world No 26 will take on local favourite Jasmine Paolini on the red clay courts of Country Time Club in Sicily on Sunday
- Zheng needed 3 hours and medical timeout to battle past Mayar Sherif in gruelling semi-final that finished at 1am
Rising Chinese player Zheng Qinwen will face local favourite Jasmine Paolini in the Palermo Open final on Sunday aiming for the first title of her career.
The second-seeded Zheng held off No 3 seed Mayar Sherif 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 in Sicily after the fifth-seeded Paolini backed up her win over top-seed Daria Kasatkina by beating Sara Sorribes Tormo 7-6, 6-0 on the red clay courts of the Country Time Club.
Paolini claimed her only WTA title in Portoroz, Slovenia, in 2021.
At No 26 in the world rankings, Zheng is China’s top player having risen 21 places in the past year, while Paolini is No 52.
In a late-night finish that saw medical timeouts for both players in the second set, Zheng’s firepower ultimately broke down Sherif’s grinding baseline game. Zheng fired 42 winners to Sherif’s 20 to snuff out the Egyptian’s gritty comeback.
“It was a really tough day, especially the weather was very humid for the both of us,” Zheng said. “My opponent is a great fighter. She never gives up, she fights for every point. I have a big respect for her.”
