Palermo win prepares Zheng for Paris

China's top ace Zheng Qinwen has thrown down the gauntlet to her fellow Olympic competitors after defending her WTA 250 title in Palermo, boosting her medal prospects in Paris in the process.

A proven world-class competitor on clay, Zheng lived up to her pre-event billing as a hot favorite in Palermo, outplaying Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic 2-1 in Sunday's final to successfully defend her title on the Italian island of Sicily — while regaining her winning momentum in time for the Olympic tournament on the same surface.

"It was a really tough match, because I think she's an amazing player," Top-seed Zheng said after beating Muchova, the No 2 seed, 6-4,4-6, 6-2 in nearly three hours on Sunday.