Google News Thailand Open: No. 1 seed Bianca Andreescu exits in SF; Lin Zhu moves into 1st finale
by ABBEY JOHNSON
Lesia Tsurenko and Lin Zhu will play the Thailand Open final in Hua Hin on Sunday. In their respective semi-finals on Saturday, Tsurenko got past top seed Bianca Andreescu while Zhu came through in the Chinese derby against seventh seed Xinyu Wang.
The Ukrainian reached the final after Andreescu was forced to retire in their match with an injury to her right shoulder, during the second set. Tsurenko was leading 7-5, 4-0 at the time. The match’s momentum swung in her favour during the latter part of the first set.
Andreescu led Tsurenko 5-3 in the first set but Tsurenko got the break back and then broke Andreescu again to take the set and go up in the match. Tsurenko went up a double break in the second set before the Canadian found it unable to continue due to her ill-health.
For Tsurenko, her entering the final marks the end of a four-year drought as this is the first time since the 2019 Brisbane International, she’s reached the final of a WTA event. Back then, she lost the final to Karolina Pliskova.
Thailand Open: Lin Zhu too good for Xinyu Wang
Meanwhile, Zhu defeated Wang 6-2, 6-4 in an hour and 37 minutes in their semi-final. Zhu won 67% of her first-serve points and 65% points on return on Wang’s first serve.
She won 45% of her second-serve points with Wang winning 51% off her second serve. Zhu saved two of the five break points she faced while converting six of the nine break points that came her way on Wang’s serve. The Thailand Open final is the maiden finale of Lin Zhu’s career.
Following this run, Zhu, who notched a career-high of no. 54 in the singles ranking, will make a new breakthrough for herself in the rankings. She’ll enter the top-50 of the WTA singles ranking for the first time.