Liudmila Samsonova beat Zheng Qinwen in straight sets at the Japan Open to capture her third title in two months. Remarkably, the 23-year-old has now won 18 of her last 19 matches and stormed to victory in Tokyo without dropping a single set. Along the way, Samsonova beat reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and former world number one Garbine Muguruza ââ proving she is more than capable of competing with the best in the world. Itâs been a stunning turn in fortunes for the Russian, who had just one WTA title to her name before August. After winning against Zheng, Samsonova said: "It's amazing. I think I need a little bit of time to realise it, but it's unbelievable.Â
WATCH: Liudmila Samsonova wins Japan Open
âIt was like a nervous match today. I was really prepared physically but I was tired mentally because I was playing singles and doubles every day. I'm very happy with the way I managed the pressure."
Samsonova won in Washington and Cleveland in August, while she also reached the fourth round of the US Open â her joint best showing in a Grand Slam so far.
These performances saw her climb to 28th in the world rankings and her win in Tokyo has pushed her to a career-high of 22nd.Â
Who is Samsonova?
Samsonova was born in Russia but originally competed for Italy, having moved there when she was just one year old.
However, in 2018 she switched to representing Russia ââ the country where she was born. She is now the third highest ranked Russian in the world rankings, after Daria Kasatkina and Veronika Kudermetova.
The 23-year-old claimed her first WTA title at the 2021 German Open ââ beating Olympic champion Belinda Bencic in the final.
At the 2020-21 Billie Jean King Cup, Samsonova led the Russian team to their first title since 2008, winning all of her five matches across both singles and doubles.
Her 13-match win streak earlier this season saw her beat the likes of Emma Raducanu, Elise Mertens and Leylah Fernandez.Â
Can Samsonova qualify for the WTA Finals?
Eight players will qualify for the prestigious WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, this October.
World number one Iga Swiatek and US Open runner-up Ons Jabeur have both qualified already, but the other six spots are still up for grabs.
Samsonova is currently 19th in the race but is only around 700 points behind her compatriot, Kudermetova, who currently occupies the final spot.
While she is still in contention for a place in the tournament, she faces competition from the likes of Paula Badosa, Madison Keys and last yearâs runner-up Annett Kontaveit.
US stars Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff will almost certainly qualify for the event ââ as will Caroline Garcia and Aryna Sabalenka.
The tournament starts on October 31st and runs until November 7th.