Zheng overcomes Paolini to set up an all-Chinese semi-final in Wuhan

Zheng Qinwen continued to shine in front of her home fans at the WTA Wuhan Open. The Paris Olympics champion got past Italy's Jasmine Paolini in three sets and set up an all-Chinese semifinal with Wang Xinyu.

In front of a raucous crowd, Zheng showcased her dominance right from the start and took the opener 6-2 with a powerful ace.

But Paolini, who is ranked fifth in the world, improved significantly in the second and got level with a 6-3 victory to force a decider.

On the brink of match point, Zheng was able to get several errors out of her opponent and then a brilliant forehand edged her closer to a place in the last four.

And that tie with Wang was sealed not long later. The 22-year-old defeated Paolini twice last season at Palermo and Zhengzhou and made it a hat-trick of wins when the Italian sent a return wide, an error confirmed by Hawkeye.

Zheng won 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 for her 23rd victory since the end of the Wimbledon, a run which makes her the player with the most wins on the WTA Tour in that span with just three defeats.

Wang now awaits in the first all-Chinese WTA 1000 semifinal later on Saturday, as she hopes to go one better than her last four showing in Beijing.

Wang, meanwhile, was able to come through a grueling encounter with Ekaterina Alexandrova, who took the first set 6-4.

Wang found her rhythm in the second, displaying tenacious defense that led to a crucial break and she got level with a 7-5 win.

The decider was a roller-coaster of emotions. Alexandrova had match point while serving for victory but she failed to convert. That allowed Wang to rally back and won three consecutive points.

This set the stage for an intense tiebreak. Both players were at their best, with Wang displaying some quick thinking during an intense exchange of volleys. She eventually executed a stunning shot after a deft net volley.

The Chinese then raced to a 5-0 lead but this time Alexandrova fought back, reeling off six consecutive points to go 6-5 ahead.

However, Wang remained calm under pressure. With a powerful serve, she regained the momentum to win the next two points when her opposite number double faults on match point.

In a thrilling finish she completed the comeback with this victory marking a significant milestone, because Wang reached her first WTA 1000 semifinal and is now the second-lowest ranked player to achieve this feat.

"My opponent played very well today, but I have no doubts about my own abilities. I will continue to work hard and believe that no matter how far behind I am, I can always make a comeback," Wang said.