by Sports Mole previews Friday’s Tokyo Open quarterfinal match between Qinwen Zheng and Leylah Fernandez, including predictions, head-to-head and their tournament history so far.
She played in the quarterfinals for the first time since August. Leylah Fernandez will face the top seed at the Tokyo Open Qinwen Zheng on Friday.
In her last match, the young Canadian won in three sets and lost Varvara Gracheva 6-0, 3-6, 7-5 as Zheng got past Moyuka Uchijima 7-5 6-0.
Game preview
© Imago
After a difficult opening set in which Uchijima Zheng gave everything she could, the number 1 of this tournament took control of the game in the second set.
In this game, the 22-year-old had an 81% first serve win rate while also converting five of her eight break point opportunities en route to victory.
On Friday she reached the quarterfinals of a WTA singles tournament for the fourth time in a row and has not lost since Aryna Sabalenka beat her at the US Open in straight sets (1-6, 2-6).
Zheng has not lost a singles match since Wimbledon, when New Zealand won the opening set Lulu Sun pulled off a surprise in three sets, winning 4:6, 6:2, 6:4.
So far this year, Zheng has won 61.7% of her serve points while winning 76.7% of her service games and 75.9% of her first serves.
She used her big serve to her advantage and hit 335 aces in 2024 while managing to win 46.2% of her second serves this year.
© Imago
She needed another three sets to make it, but Leylah Fernandez performed when she needed to to advance to the last eight of this tournament.
After dominating the first set against Gracheva, the Canadian showed great power when needed, winning 69% of her second serves to win the match.
This is the furthest the 22-year-old has reached in an individual competition since the Cincinnati Open earlier this year Jessica Pegula defeated them in a thrilling quarterfinal by three sets.
Her best result on the hard court this year came in February when she made it to the last eight of the Qatar TotalEnergies Open Elena Rybakina eliminated them in straight sets.
In 2024, Fernandez hit over 200 double faults, just over 100 aces and managed to win 65.5% of her first serves.
Fernandez has won just over 40% of her second serves this year and has saved almost 60% of her break points on the WTA Tour.
tournament so far
Qinwen Zheng:
Round of 16: against Moyuka Uchijima 7-5 6-0
Leylah Fernandez:
Round of 16: against Aliaksandra Sasnovich 5-7, 6-2, 5-2 walkover
Round of 16: against Varvara Gracheva 6-0 3-6 7-5
Head to head
Monterrey Open (2022) – Second Round: Fernandez wins 6-1 4-6 7-6
Qatar TotalEnergies Open (2024) – Third Round: Fernandez wins 7-5, 6-3
Wuhan Open (2024) – Quarterfinals: Zheng wins 5-7, 6-3, 6-0
When the two met for the first time in Mexico two years ago, Zheng was her own worst enemy with 10 double faults while the Canadian won 59% of her second serves.
In Qatar earlier this year, second serves made a huge difference as Fernandez won 67% of her serves while Zheng claimed just 39%.
At the Wuhan Open, Zheng won 74% of her first serves to Fernandez’s 61%, while the reigning Olympic singles champion had a decisive advantage on second serves with a win rate of 62% compared to the Canadian’s 37%. .
We say: Zheng wins in three sets
This may be the toughest match of the quarterfinals, but we believe that the momentum Zheng brings into this encounter and her consistently strong results will give her a slight edge over a worthy opponent.
