![]() ![]() The battle for serve dominance will likely play a large role in the final. Zheng tried to play more aggressively when the ball was in play to bridge that gap, but that led to more unforced errors. While she was able to settle as the match went on, the damage was largely done by that point. In the first set of that match-up Zheng landed just 25 per cent of first serves and was only able to win 42 per cent of her second serves. Sabalenka won 88.5 per cent of her first serves, denying Zheng even the opportunity of a break point.Ĭontrastingly, Zheng struggled to get her first serve in play. Sabalenka dominated that match, winning 6-1, 6-4 in just over an hour of play. That happened quite recently, at last year's US Open. Sabalenka and Zheng have faced off just once in the past. A similar negative split occurred in her semifinal win over Yestrenska. While Zheng was able to hit 40 winners to Wang's 20, she also racked up 48 unforced errors compared with Wang's 31. So far this tournament, Zheng has been able to stay on the right side of this balance, but it has gotten her into trouble - most notably against Yafan Wang in the third round. Like her service game, keeping the ball in play is the trade-off to that power. While she doesn't force herself to work around to her favoured side as much as other players, there's a clear bias to where she does most of her damage. ![]() When the ball is in play Zheng's forehand is her preferred weapon. "I think her forehand is really heavy and she's also moving well, fighting for every point," Sabalenka said of Zheng after her semifinal win. Zheng usually sets up solidly at the baseline and is unafraid to overwhelm opponents with big shots. That aggression also extends to her general ground game. Seeds fell like flies, with Zheng the last one standing by the quarterfinals. Last year's finalist and world number three, Elena Rybakina, was knocked out in a second round epic with Swiatek, who was knocked out by 19-year-old Czech Linda Nosková one round later. While Zheng finished the year strongly and has long been tabbed as a rising star of the women's tour, most eyes get stuck on the very top seeds.įew also predicted the chaos that would occur in the top half of the draw. Zheng plants the seedįew predicted Zheng being one of the final two women standing at Melbourne Park fighting for the 2024 Australian Open title. To combat this, Sabalenka sometimes opts for a safety slice to ensure that she can get in the point - a good move considering how good she is in live points. Occasionally her positioning and power means that she tries to bite a little too much off on the return. If Sabalenka has a weakness, it rests with her ability to put returns in play off the serve. The combination of her weapons makes Sabalenka one of the toughest challenges to overcome in women's tennis. ![]() That's not to downplay the strength of her two-handed backhand - which is also one of the better in the game. She has a habit of turning service games into processions, rarely hitting trouble when she starts the point. ![]() Her service has been arguably the best in the game since then. She decided to fix the problem herself, forgoing a psychologist to instead work out the kinks in her serve. It cruelled her chances at the 2022 Australian Open, but one tournament doesn't make a career. Her biggest weapon, her serve, had deserted her. Two years ago Sabalenka was on the cusp of being the best player in the world - except for one pretty big thing. Will Sabalenka solidify her reputation as the most dangerous player in the world right now, or will Zheng cap her swift rise to the top of the women's game? To protect and serve The 21-year-old has survived the chaotic top half of the women's draw to be the last player left standing. She hadn't played a grand slam tournament before 2022, and made her first quarterfinal at last year's US Open. Zheng, on the other hand, has been one of the fastest-rising young players in the world over the past 12 months. Sabalenka will be looking for her second straight Australian Open title - the first player to do so in a decade. ![]()
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