Zheng Qinwen defeated Mirra Andreeva in straight sets to win the China Open, becoming the first Chinese player to triumph at the tournament. She secured the victory with a 7-5, 6-4 win over the fourth seed.
Zheng entered the Beijing tournament as a wildcard, ranked 54th in the world. In the first set, she saved three set points, then won the remaining 11 points to take the opening set 7-5. Andreeva had been dominant in the early stages of both sets, leading 2-0 in each and 5-4 in the first, but Zheng staged a comeback. In the second set, which was tied at 4-4, Andreeva continued to make errors, allowing Zheng to take control.
Zheng underwent elbow surgery last year and has struggled with form and physical fitness over the past 12 months. This is her first title on WTA 1000 tournaments, and her sixth overall in her career, breaking a two-year trophy drought. After winning the match point, she fell to the floor and treated the home crowd to karaoke following her victory speech.
"The feeling was incredible. Winning here in Beijing in front of my own crowd is one of my dreams," Zheng said. "I went through a very, very difficult year. I felt like I had simply forgotten how to compete after returning from injury. Finally, after so many defeats, I found my fire again."
The crowd was passionate, although occasionally disruptive between points. A late double fault by Zheng in the final exchanges briefly threatened to spoil a special occasion for Chinese tennis, but she secured the victory with an ace. This is her 14th win against a top-10 opponent, and her third this season.
Andreeva is set to rise to third in the world rankings when they are updated on Monday. Zheng will jump 31 places to take 23rd position. She will compete at the Wuhan Open as early as Tuesday. "Honestly, I am so hungry for what comes next. I just want to give it my all," Zheng declared.
