Sabalenka defeats Zheng Qinwen to secure historic third Wuhan Open title

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Aryna Sabalenka made history by winning the Wuhan Open for a record third time on Sunday. The 26-year-old Belarusian battled past China’s Zheng Qinwen in a thrilling three-set final.

In a rematch of the Australian Open final, Sabalenka once again emerged victorious, claiming the win 6-3, 5-7, 6-3. This marks Sabalenka’s fourth singles title of the year.

“That sounds cr*zy. This place definitely feels like home,” Sabalenka said.

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“I am pretty sure we are going to play many more finals against one another.”

Aryna Sabalenka beat favorite Zheng Qinwen to win her third straight Wuhan Open tournament!

Is she the best in the world right now? pic.twitter.com/zZTYAkLnBN

— DW Sports (@dw_sports) October 13, 2024

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka took the first set in just 38 minutes, but Zheng Qinwen fought back in the second.

Zheng trailed 3-0 in the final set but clawed back two games before Sabalenka broke for a 5-2 lead.

Despite failing to serve out the match, Sabalenka sealed her 17th career title on her third championship point.

Zheng, the reigning Olympic gold medalist, made history as the first Chinese player to reach a WTA 1000 final. However, she remains winless in four meetings with the three-time Grand Slam champion.

Sabalenka’s victory extended her Wuhan unbeaten streak to 17 matches, breaking Petra Kvitova’s tournament record. This win caps off a stellar season for Sabalenka, including titles at both the Australian Open and US Open.

Tags: Aryna Sabalenka, Wuhan Open, Zheng Qinwen, 26-year-old Belarusian, Petra Kvitova, US Open, Australian Open, reigning Olympic gold medalist, WTA 1000, 6-3 5-7 6-3, #NewsRoundTheClock, #WuhanOpen, #nrtcnewsnigeria, #nrtcnigeria, #nrtcnews, #nrtcsports.