A power hitter boasting a big serve and swift footwork, Zheng's aggressive game almost delivered another big upset to add to the many shocks she has produced this year. Samsonova was forced to bring her A-game to fend off the surging Chinese teen to claim her third WTA title in a row following wins in Cleveland, Ohio and Washington last month.

The run to the final, however, has cemented Zheng's status as an elite pro following a series of breakthroughs this season, including back-to-back third-round appearances at the US Open and Wimbledon following an impressive last-16 run at Roland Garros.

In her debut season competing full-time on the WTA Tour, Zheng has produced a string of giant-killing upsets, such as her second-round win over former No 1 Simona Halep on clay in Paris, a three-set defeat of 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu in Toronto and a thrilling opening-round triumph over 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko in New York.

Riding the momentum of her solid run in New York, Zheng put her powerful game on full display on Day 5 in Tokyo when she dominated third-ranked Badosa of Spain. She hit seven aces and 24 winners to her opponent's zero and eight to secure a 6-3, 6-2 win.

It was Zheng's first victory over a top-10 player — not counting at the Canadian Open last month when she got past Ons Jabeur after the world No 2 retired injured.