Tokyo
Zheng Qinwen defeated American Sofia Kenin 7-6(5), 6-3 to win the Pan Pacific Open title on Sunday. This victory marks Zheng’s third title of the year and her first hard-court triumph of the season.
Zheng, who has already won two clay-court titles in 2024, including a gold medal at the Paris Olympics and her successful defense of the Palermo title, secured her first hard-court win since October 2023. The final, which lasted an hour and 52 minutes, was Zheng’s first career meeting with the 2020 Australian Open champion Kenin.
In a dominant serving performance, Zheng never faced a break and allowed only one break point. She fired 16 aces, bringing her season total to 406. Her impeccable first serve (winning all 21 first-service points in the opening set) left Kenin with little opportunity to gain an advantage.
Kenin, a former World No.4, pushed Zheng in the first set, saving five break points and forcing a tiebreak. However, Zheng rose to the occasion, clinching the tiebreak with a forehand winner. In the second set, Zheng fended off Kenin’s only break point and sealed her victory after Kenin sent a shot long, earning Zheng her first hard-court title of the year.
