Google News
Xinyu Wang and Xiyu Wang have been the biggest prospects of the Chinese women's tennis, both born in 2001 and both entering the Top 5 on the ITF junior list, winning Wimbledon doubles title in July. Xiyu is the better-ranked player on the WTA rankings list and she has claimed her maiden WTA title in Nonthaburi at Thailand last week.
She advanced into another title match this week at the same place but it was Xinyu Wang who stopped her there, celebrating a 6-1 4-6 6-1 triumph in an hour and 46 minutes for her first professional title. Back in June, Xinyu lost in her first pro final in Slovenia but this time she went all the way, losing serve just twice and scoring six breaks on the other side to dominate in sets one and three.
Xinyu served at only 54% but she controlled her games with composed performance when facing break points, and she easily overcame those two breaks she suffered with a strong performance on the return, taking 50% of the return points to create 10 break chances and convert six to cross the finish line first and embrace the title.
The first set was wrapped up in 24 minutes and it was Xinyu who dominated from the baseline and with her initial shot to race into a 6-1 lead. She lost just two points on serve and Xiyu was unable to follow that pace in her games, getting broken in games one, five and seven, having a lot of work to be done in the rest of the match if she wanted to get back on the positive side of the scoreboard.
Xiyu raised her level in the second set, fending off four out of five break points she faced and stealing Xinyu's serve twice for a 6-4. They traded breaks in games three and four and Xiyu grabbed another one at 3-3, holding at love in game 10 to set up a decider.
She served at 81% in the final set but that couldn't bring her much, losing serve twice and missing all five break points she created to end on the losing side. Xinyu broke in the second game and she saved three break points in the following game to forge a 3-0 lead, earning another break in game six that pushed her 5-1 up and closer to the title.
Xiyu made one last push in the seventh game but she failed to convert any of the two break points she created and Xinyu could start a title celebration. ALSO READ: August 17, 2008: Rafael Nadal embraces Olympic glory in Beijing