BEIJING — Aryna Sabalenka’s dominant hard-court season confirmed no indicators of slowing down as she cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Ashlyn Krueger on the China Open on Monday for her 14th consecutive victory.
The three-time Grand Slam winner began her streak with a title at Cincinnati in August and continued with a run to the championship on the US Open earlier this month. She additionally received the Australian Open earlier within the yr.
The second-ranked Sabalenka transformed 5 of her seven breakpoint alternatives in a lopsided contest in opposition to Krueger and can subsequent face Madison Keys, hoping to equal her career-best 15 consecutive victories set in 2020-21.
Keys had a 6-3, 6-3 win over Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil. Haddad Maia received the Korea Open final week however struggled to fight the baseline energy of Keys.
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Former No. 1 Naomi Osaka continued her optimistic begin with new coach Patrick Mouratoglou with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Katie Volynets, advancing to a spherical of 16 match in opposition to sixth-ranked Coco Gauff.
It is going to be the primary assembly between the 2 Grand Slam champions in additional than two years, with the head-to-head sequence tied at 2-2.
“It is going to be a very cool check for me,” Osaka stated. “She’s performed rather well this yr. I am excited to play the match, and I do know persons are excited to look at the match.”
Osaka, who returned from maternity go away initially of this season and is No. 73 within the present rankings, fired 5 aces and produced three service breaks.
The four-time main winner joined Mouratoglou shortly earlier than the China Open after splitting with Wim Fisette. Her run right here to this point is the primary time since Might that Osaka has had three consecutive wins.
Additionally, No. 14-ranked Anna Kalinskaya was main 3-6, 6-3, 3-1 when Peyton Stearns retired from their match. She is going to subsequent play Yuliia Starodubtseva of Ukraine.
Karolina Muchova beat Jaqueline Cristian 6-1, 6-3 and can play the winner of the match between Cristina Bucsa and Twenty fourth-seeded Elise Mertens within the fourth spherical.
Within the males’s draw, Andrey Rublev beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-4, 7-5 in a match that was carried over from Sunday due to a rain delay.
No. 6-ranked Rublev had six aces and 21 winners to increase his profession document in opposition to Davidovich Fokina to 5-0.
The fifth-seeded Russian will play native favourite No. 96-ranked Bu Yunchaokete within the quarterfinals.
