World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka defeated China's Zheng Qinwen in a 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 thriller on Sunday, claiming her third consecutive Wuhan Open title.

Zheng Qinwen (L) and Aryna Sabalenka pose for photos during the awarding ceremony of women's singles final match between Zheng Qinwen of China and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the 2024 Wuhan Open tennis tournament in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Oct. 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

Zheng got off to a slow start, committing four double faults in the opening set while Sabalenka dominated her own service games and broke Zheng's serve in the sixth game, taking the first set 6-3.

Both players showed resilience in a closely contested second set. Sabalenka made several unforced errors in her forehand attacks, while Zheng displayed more stability and converted four out of seven break points to win the set 7-5.

Zheng Qinwen hits a return during the women's singles final match between Zheng Qinwen of China and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the 2024 Wuhan Open tennis tournament in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Oct. 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan)

In the decider, Zheng struggled with her serve, losing the first two service games. She fought back to break Sabalenka's serve twice and hold her own serve, bringing the score to 3-5. In the ninth game, Sabalenka broke Zheng's serve again with a netted shot, sealing her victory at 6-3.

Wuhan has proven to be a lucky venue for Sabalenka, who has enjoyed an unbeaten 17-0 streak in the central Chinese city, and has won all three editions of the Wuhan open since 2018.

Returning to Wuhan this year, Sabalenka hailed the development of China's tennis this season. "It's definitely a huge season for the Chinese players. Qinwen won the Olympics and made it to the Australian Open final. Definitely tennis has become bigger in China and it's really nice to see. It's definitely a successful year for China in tennis," she commented.

Aryna Sabalenka serves during the women's singles final match between Zheng Qinwen of China and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the 2024 Wuhan Open tennis tournament in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Oct. 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Cheng Min)

This is the third time Zheng has lost to Sabalenka this season, but the Chinese sought to accentuate the positive. "I feel that this time I had a clearer understanding of the situation on the court compared to previous matches. Maybe I was too conservative in today's match against Sabalenka. This is something that excites me a little after this loss, that I can always do better than the last time. I hope that next time, I can not only come close but surpass."

Despite not winning the title, playing her first WTA 1000 final in Wuhan holds a special meaning for Zheng. "I think it's not easy to reach the final of a 1,000-point tournament, especially in Wuhan. This is where my dream began. Of course, I'm very disappointed that I couldn't take home the trophy this time, but I hope that one day in my future career, I can fulfil this wish," Zheng said. 

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