Top seeds Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek made impressive strides in the WTA 1000 Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open, both securing their spots in the quarter-finals on Thursday. Sabalenka dispatched Liudmila Samsonova with relative ease, while Swiatek found herself engaged in a hard-fought battle against Belinda Bencic before eventually emerging victorious.
Sabalenka, currently ranked as World No. 1, showcased her dominance over Samsonova, winning 6-3, 6-2 in just one hour and 15 minutes. This victory marks her 19th consecutive win in Wuhan, extending her current winning streak to eight matches. In a remarkable turnaround, Sabalenka has turned her previous record against Samsonova around, winning their last three encounters in straight sets after initially losing two of their first three meetings in 2022 and 2023.
With an impeccable service game, Sabalenka only permitted Samsonova to score 10 points on her serve and landed an impressive 77% of her first serves. The Belarusian faced minimal pressure during the match, allowing Samsonova to string together more than two points in a single game just once.
After a brief hiatus due to a minor injury, Sabalenka is eager for her fifth trophy of the season. Her time off included training sessions with Novak Djokovic in Greece, where she jokingly claimed to have won multiple points against him. “I hope he’ll confirm that,” she added with a smile.
In her next challenge, Sabalenka will face off against former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, who triumphed over Linda Noskova with a scoreline of 6-3, 6-4. Rybakina’s return to Wuhan marks her first appearance in this tournament since 2019, and she aims to build on her past success. Despite some early contention, Rybakina maintained her composure and never faced a break point, even as Noskova demonstrated a valiant effort by saving 10 out of 12 break points overall.
Rybakina and Sabalenka share a well-documented rivalry. They first went head-to-head at the same stage of this event back in 2019, where Sabalenka emerged victorious. However, Rybakina has been increasingly formidable in recent face-offs, winning five of their last eight matches.
Meanwhile, Jessica Pegula and Jasmine Paolini also advanced to the quarter-finals, with Pegula overcoming Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, and Paolini advancing due to a retirement from Clara Tauson, who had to withdraw due to a right thigh injury. Pegula’s match was a testament to her resilience, as she battled back from a 2-5 deficit in the opening set.
Iga Swiatek also continued her strong run, winning against Bencic 7-6(2), 6-4. This marked Swiatek’s 125th victory in WTA 1000 events, and she will now take on Paolini in the quarter-finals. Swiatek’s game was marked by decisive moments, as she thrived under pressure during key points.
In a final twist, Coco Gauff rounded out the top seeds’ success by defeating wild-card Zhang Shuai 6-3, 6-2, setting up a quarter-final meeting with Laura Siegemund. Gauff, despite being broken twice, is eager to push through: “It wasn’t my best level at some points, but I’m happy that I got through,” the 21-year-old stated after her match.
As the tournament progresses, the stage is set for thrilling encounters in the quarter-finals, with top players vying for a coveted title and crucial points toward the WTA Finals. The Wuhan Open continues to showcase the depth and talent of women’s tennis as we move closer to the climax of the season.
