MATCH POINTS
No.6 seed Wang Qiang has already won titles in Nanchang and Guangzhou in the second half of 2018. A third career trophy would make the Chinese No.1 the sixth player to win three or more titles this year, following Petra Kvitova (five titles), Simona Halep, Caroline Wozniacki, Kiki Bertens and Elise Mertens (all on three titles).
Dayana Yastremska has reached her maiden final in just her 11th WTA main draw attempt. Before this week, the 18-year-old's main draw record was 3-10, with her only previous quarterfinal coming in Istanbul last year.
Wang Qiang lost her first seven WTA quarterfinals between 2016 and 2017 - and Hong Kong last year was where she finally broke through to make her first semifinal, and she has since compiled a perfect 2-0 record in finals. This year, Hong Kong marks her fifth consecutive semifinal or better, and her run this week has improved her win-loss record this year to 39-20, and since the US Open to 19-3.
Dayana Yastremska's overall win-loss record in 2018 is now 39-18, including ITF $100,000 finals in Cagnes-sur-Mer and Ilkley and an ITF $60,000 trophy in Rome. The 2015 Wimbledon junior runner-up (to Anastasia Potapova) has a 3-3 record in ITF finals - and her semifinal win over Zhang Shuai improved her career record against Top 50 opposition to 5-1.
World No.24 Wang Qiang has hit a new career high ranking for five consecutive weeks - and is guaranteed another next week at No.23 (with a final loss) or No.22 (with a victory). Dayana Yastremska, who first broke the Top 100 in July, is guaranteed to return to it and also hit a new career high within the Top 80.
Dayana Yastremska is the sixth teenage finalist of 2018 following Aryna Sabalenka in Lugano, Olga Danilovic and Anastasia Potapova at the Moscow River Cup, Amanda Anisimova in Hiroshima and Potapova again in Tashkent. Of those players, only Danilovic came away with the title.
Dayana Yastremska is the fourth Ukrainian to reach a WTA final in 2018 following Elina Svitolina's titles in Brisbane and Dubai, Lesia Tsurenko's victory in Acapulco and Kateryna Kozlova's runner-up showing in Taipei City. Wang Qiang is one of only two Chinese players to progress to a title round this year, alongside her conquest in the Nanchang final, Zheng Saisai.
ORDER OF PLAY
CENTRE COURT (starts 1pm)
Shuko AOYAMA (JPN) / Lidziya MAROZAVA (BLR) [4] vs Samantha STOSUR (AUS) / ZHANG Shuai (CHN) or Alexa GUARACHI (CHI) / Giuliana OLMOS (MEX)
Not before 4pm
WANG Qiang (CHN) [6] vs Dayana YASTREMSKA (UKR)