Liudmilla Samsonova wins Toray Pan Pacific Open: Key stats
Russia's Liudmilla Samsonova bested China's Qinwen Zheng 7-5, 7-5 to win the coveted Toray Pan Pacific Open on Sunday. The world number 30 claimed only her fourth career title. As per WTA, Samsonova pocketed her 18th win in her last 19 matches. Notably, the 23-year-old will rise to a new career-best ranking just outside of the Top 20 on Monday. Here's more.
Key stats from the match
Samsonova fired 27 winners and conceded 21 unforced errors to Zheng's 17 and 28 respectively. She converted three of her seven break points and garnered a total of 80 points. Zheng served nine aces to Samsonova's four. Both players clocked six double faults each. Samsonova has bettered her WTA record to a 1-1 against Zheng, having lost in straight-sets (3-6, 2-6) in 2021 Palermo.
A look at her journey in the tournament
Samsonova pulled an upset in R32 as she handed a 6-2, 6-4 drubbing to 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. She defeated China's Wang Xinyu 7-6(5), 6-3 in R16. She was all over the two-time Grand Slam winner Garbine Muguruza of Spain (6-4, 6-2) in the quarter-finals. She beat China's Zhang Shuai 7-6(4), 6-2 before routing Zheng in the finale.
Records galore for Samsonova
As per WTA, Samsonova now enjoys an 18-1 win-loss record in the last 19 matches. Notably, she has won 16 of those without dropping a set. It was her third title in 2022, having won in Washington and Cleveland in August. Her only defeat in this interval was at the 2022 US Open, losing to Ajla Tomljanovic 6-7(8), 1-6 in R16.
Zheng gains despite the defeat in finale
Zheng became the first Chinese teenager to make the WTA singles final. She will become the first Chinese teenager to breach the Top 30 on Monday. As per WTA, Zheng has become the second teenager to reach a WTA 500-level or higher final this season after American Coco Gauff's run to the Roland Garros final.
