Photo: Cui Meng/Global Times

China's Zheng Qinwen captured the women's singles title at the China Open on Sunday, defeating fourth-seeded Mirra Andreeva to complete a historic run at home and claim her first WTA 1000 championship.

Zheng prevailed 7-5, 6-4 in front of the near-capacity home crowd at the Diamond Court of the National Tennis Center in Beijing, becoming the first Chinese player to win the tournament's women's singles title.

The triumph marked a major milestone for the Olympic champion, who entered the tournament on a wildcard after recovering from an elbow injury. 

It also completed a remarkable climb back up the rankings for Zheng, whose ranking stood at No.54 when she started her China Open campaign. She is also the first wild-card entrant to reach the final and the lowest-ranked finalist in the tournament's history.

Her title-winning run will bring her tournament total to 1,000 points, providing a significant boost as she seeks to re-establish herself among the world's leading players.

Zheng's route to the title included several demanding tests. 

She opened with a three-set victory over fellow Chinese player Shi Han, then advanced past Anna Kalinskaya after the Russian retired during their second-round match. Zheng subsequently overcame Marie Bouzkova and Alina Charaeva in three-set contests before defeating sixth seed Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals.

In Saturday's semifinal, Zheng beat Belgium's 13th seed Elise Mertens 7-5, 6-2, holding her nerve in a competitive opening set before taking control in the second. 

The victory made her the first Chinese player to reach the China Open women's singles final, breaking through a barrier that had stood since the tournament joined the WTA Tour in 2004.

Andreeva, the French Open champion and world No.5, presented a formidable challenge. The Russian advanced to the final with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Czech qualifier Nikola Bartunkova. Sunday's final was also a rematch of their 2024 China Open quarterfinal, when Zheng recovered from a set down to win 5-7, 6-0, 6-4.

The significance of Sunday's final extends beyond the singles title. 

For the first time in China Open history, Chinese players contested both the women's singles and women's doubles finals on the same day, bringing two of the country's leading players into contention for major honors at the home tournament. 

Earlier Sunday, Zhang Shuai and Czech partner Katerina Siniakova lost the women's doubles final to second seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani. 

The previous occasion on which Chinese players featured in both the singles and doubles finals of a WTA 1000 event was the 2012 Cincinnati Open. 

Li Na won the women's singles title after rallying from a set down to defeat Angelique Kerber, while Zheng Jie and partner Katarina Srebotnik lost their doubles final.

For Zheng, Sunday's victory gave the home crowd a historic singles champion after the Paris Olympics and provided a tangible reward for her return from injury. 

Her performance also offered a reminder of the importance of the China Open as a stage for Chinese players to compete against the world's best in front of domestic supporters.

Having climbed back into the world's top 30 in the live rankings and now adding a WTA 1000 title to her record, Zheng leaves Beijing with renewed momentum for the WTA Wuhan Open, another WTA 1000 mandatory event. 

According to the draw, Zheng could face world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in the second round of the Wuhan Open, setting up a potential early test against one of her toughest opponents on tour.