Zheng Qinwen crushed Jasmine Paolini to reach the last four of the WTA Finals, while an already qualified Aryna Sabalenka lost to an inspired Elena Rybakina.
Chinese Olympic gold medalist Zheng showed her power in an easy 6-1 6-1 win that saw off Italy’s Paolini.
It left the 22-year-old with a 2-1 record in the group stages, with her only loss to Sabalenka coming on the first day of the tournament.
Zheng is the second Chinese woman to reach the semi-finals of the tournament, after the legendary Li Na in 2013.
“I didn’t know what would happen when I came here,” she said. “I told myself to enjoy it, especially because I’m in a very difficult group.”
Sabalenka, who captured the year-end world number one ranking earlier this week, fell 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 to Rybakina in a close encounter.
The Belarusian, 26, still finished the round-robin stage as group winner, with her opponent already eliminated after losses to Zheng and Paolini.
“It’s nice to end the year with at least one win against the world number one. I’m just happy,” said 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina.
The placings in the second group have yet to be decided, with American Coco Gauff the only player to have secured her spot in the semi-finals.
One of Barbora Krejcikova, who plays against Gauff on Thursday, or Iga Swiatek will move up next to her.
Poland’s Swiatek was supposed to play against the already eliminated Jessica Pegula, but the American withdrew on Wednesday with a knee injury and is replaced by alternate Daria Kasatkina.
Contested between the top eight players in singles and doubles, the tournament offers record prize money, with an undefeated singles champion set to collect just under £4 million.
The WTA Finals will be held in Saudi Arabia for the first time – a move that has been criticized by some due to the country’s human rights record.
Sabalenka falls apart against Rybakina
Although Rybakina missed the last four, her impressive win in Riyadh is a positive end to a season marred by injuries and illness.
Sabalenka is the most powerful player on the women’s tour, especially on hard courts, but Rybakina is one of the few who can test her, given her own strong forehand and huge serve.
The top seed was frustrated from the start, slamming her racket into the court after starting with four service breaks in the first five games.
A nasty forehand miss gave Rybakina the crucial break for a 5-4 lead, after which the Kazakh promptly closed the set with a cross-court winner.
After a toilet break – and a few words of frustration towards her coaches – Sabalenka reduced the unforced errors in the second set and secured the crucial break with a series of brutal backhands.
But the Australian and US Open champion fell apart in the deciding set, losing five games in a row as Rybakina sealed a high-quality win.
Zheng ‘finally shows off tennis I want to play’
The crowd at the season-ending match seemed disappointing – Tim Henman was among those who criticized the low attendance at Iga Swiatek’s opening match on Sunday – but Zheng was a consistent draw.
The world number seven, runner-up to Sabalenka at this year’s Australian Open, overwhelmed Wimbledon and French Open number two Paolini with her huge forehand and solid serve.
Zheng hit 24 winners and 12 aces during the 67-minute win, with 28-year-old Paolini unable to match the powerful striking.
It is the first time Zheng has defeated two top 10 players at the same tournament, having defeated world number five Rybakina in three sets earlier this week.
Since her success at the Paris Olympics, Zheng has won titles in Palermo and Tokyo, and reached the quarter-finals of the US Open and the Wuhan Open final.
“I finally showed what kind of tennis I really want to play,” she said.
“You’re nervous, but at the same time you feel confident because you know your level – and I know how capable I am.”
