Aryna Sabalenka has been virtually unstoppable since the Cincinnati Open in August. The Belarusian has now advanced to her tenth consecutive WTA quarterfinal and matched her career-best streak of 15 consecutive wins, a feat she previously achieved between the 2020 Ostrava and 2021 Dubai tournaments.
Facing an in-form Madison Keys in the fourth round of the China Open, Sabalenka delivered an assured performance on Wednesday, serving at 72% and winning an impressive 84% of her first-serve points en route to a 6-4 6-3 victory. In total, she lost just five points on her first serve, effectively neutralizing Keys’ baseline threats. The reigning US Open champion also saved both break points she faced, going unbroken throughout the match.
Keys, despite her best efforts, was unable to match Sabalenka’s efficiency on serve. While the American played a clean match with 22 winners to just 10 unforced errors, her 56% first-serve conversion rate fell short of providing the edge needed against Sabalenka’s relentless attack.
Sabalenka’s 15-match winning streak began with her triumph at the Cincinnati Open in August and has been fueled by her title run at the US Open. The three-time Grand Slam champion has won 30 of 31 sets during this remarkable span, with her only setback being a single set dropped to Ekaterina Alexandrova in the US Open third round. The streak marks a continuation of Sabalenka’s 2024 dominance, where she has already captured the Australian Open title earlier in the year.
This will be Sabalenka’s third consecutive quarterfinal appearance in Beijing, but she’s yet to reach the semifinals at the China Open. Her next challenge will come from Karolina Muchova, the US Open semifinalist, who breezed past Spain’s Cristina Bucsa 6-2 6-0 to set up the quarterfinal clash. (source: WTA, photo: Jimmie48)
