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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.

Aryna Sabalenka wins the 2024 Wuhan Open (Image: The Tennis Letter on X)

“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.”

https://twitter.com/dw_sports/status/1845465038145892559?s=19

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 Qinwen lost the Wuhan Open final to Sabalenka on Sunday (Image: José Morgado on X)

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.

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