There were concerns around the fitness of the fifth seed after she injured her hand against Karolina Muchova in the Beijing semi-finals on Saturday.

But Zheng recovered in time to commence her first Wuhan Open campaign and coasted to a significant victory in her career.

What Chinese WTA record did Zheng Qinwen match?

Zheng Qinwen took one hour and 42 minutes to defeat Cristian 6-2, 6-4 in front of her delighted home fans in Wuhan.

This marked Zheng’s 40th win on the WTA Tour this season, which is the most a Chinese woman has managed in a single season since two-time Grand Slam champion Li Na registered 44 wins in 2013.

Zheng’s nine aces against Cristian took her tally to 345 aces in 2024, which is now the highest for any player.

The World number seven, who moved to Wuhan to go to school and train when she was a child, now faces a tough test in the next round.

Who is Zheng Qinwen’s next opponent?

Zheng has booked her spot in the next round where she will face 2021 US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez.

The Canadian overcame qualifier Kamilla Rakhimova in a gruelling three-set match to set up her third meeting against Zheng.

Zheng has yet to defeat the World number 28. Their first match came at the 2022 Monterrey Open, which the 22-year-old won in three sets.

They played again at the Doha Open in February, and this time Fernandez claimed the win in straight sets.

Now an Olympic champion and playing in her home country, Zheng will be feeling confident about her chances of beating Fernandez for the first time.

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