Tournament favorite Zheng Qinwen advanced to the second semi-final of the China Open after defeating sixth seed Elina Svitolina in straight sets.
Zheng started the match by breaking serve, gaining a 2-0 advantage, and then broke her opponent's serve twice more to win the first set 6-3.
The second set was much more intense. Neither athlete made an error on their serve, which led to a tie-break. The 24-year-old Zheng managed to convert her second match point, winning the tie-break 8-6.
This victory allowed Zheng to reach her fourth career semi-final at WTA 1000 tournaments and her third semi-final in China, following her appearances in Beijing and Wuhan in 2024. The Olympic champion from Paris 2024 will now face 13th seed Alice Mertens from Belgium in the semi-finals. If she wins the semi-final, Zheng will become the first Chinese woman to reach the final of the China Open in the modern era.