WUHAN, China — US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka’s profitable streak on the Wuhan Open rolled on to 19 matches when she beat Liudmila Samsonova 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000-level event.
The highest-ranked Sabalenka’s streak contains profitable titles at Wuhan in 2018, 2019 and 2024.
No. 2-ranked Iga Swiatek additionally superior, profitable 7-6 (2), 6-4 towards former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic. Swiatek improved to a 5-1 profession document over Bencic, together with a straights-set win within the Wimbledon semifinals in July.
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Sabalenka will subsequent play eighth-seeded Elena Rybakina, who gained 6-3, 6-4 over Linda Noskova as she seeks to earn an entry to the WTA Finals occasion in Saudi Arabia.
Swiatek’s quarterfinal opponent is Jasmine Paolini, who superior by way of the spherical of 16 when Clara Tauson retired when trailing 3-6, 6-1, 3-1.
Earlier, Jessica Pegula recovered from an early service break within the third set to beat Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 and advance to the ultimate eight. The sixth-seeded Pegula, who misplaced within the China Open semifinals final week, leveled the deciding set at 2-2 then gained 4 of the final 5 video games for victory.
The win over No. 9 Alexandrova got here a day after Pegula wanted seven match factors to beat fellow American Hailey Baptiste within the second spherical.
It was Pegula’s sixth straight three-set match, and for the fifth time, she gained.
“I am unable to keep in mind the final time I performed two units,” Pegula mentioned. “However I have been competing actually arduous, and I have been enjoying a number of actually good gamers. It was totally different circumstances right now with the roof closed, and I believe it took us a short time to get adjusted.”
Within the late match, No. 3 Coco Gauff, coming off a semifinal loss to eventual champion Amanda Anisimova on the China Open final week, defeated Zhang Shuai 6-3, 6-2.
