Qinwen Zheng defeated Mayar Sherif 6–4, 4–6, 6–1 in the semi-final of the WTA 250 Palermo event on clay on 22 July 2023, confirming her status as pre-match favourite despite Sherif's competitive first two sets. Zheng's dominance in the third set proved decisive, where she broke Sherif's resistance to secure a commanding victory. The result saw the favourite prevail as expected, though Sherif's second-set capture suggested the Egyptian competitor remained competitive throughout the contest. Zheng's progression to the final strengthened her credentials on the clay circuit ahead of the latter stages of the summer season.