World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka continued her dominance in Wuhan on Thursday, extending her flawless record at the tournament to 19 consecutive victories. The reigning US Open champion dispatched 16th seed Liudmila Samsonova 6-3 6-2 to secure a place in the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 event.
Sabalenka, who already lifted the Wuhan trophy in 2018, 2019, and 2024, has never been beaten at the Chinese tournament. Against Samsonova, the Belarusian was unyielding on serve, dropping only 10 points across the match and allowing her opponent just one game where she managed more than a single point on return. The win also marks Sabalenka’s ninth straight match victory on tour.
The head-to-head dynamic with Samsonova has shifted sharply over the past year. After losing two of their first three encounters in 2022 and 2023, Sabalenka has now claimed three consecutive wins, all in straight sets, within the last 14 months.
Up next for the top seed is fellow Grand Slam champion Elena Rybakina, who also advanced in straight sets on Thursday. Their quarterfinal meeting will be the 13th chapter in a compelling rivalry that began at this very stage in Wuhan back in 2019, when Sabalenka won in three sets. Since then, the matchup has become one of the tour’s most tightly contested: Sabalenka leads the series 7–5, but Rybakina has taken five of the last eight clashes and holds a 5–4 edge on outdoor hard courts.
Recent history favors the Kazakhstani: Rybakina last defeated Sabalenka in August at the Cincinnati quarterfinals, winning 6-1 6-4. Still, when matches between the two go the distance, the odds swing toward the world No. 1—every one of her seven victories has come in three sets, including an unforgettable comeback in Berlin this summer where she saved four match points. Rybakina, meanwhile, has closed out four of her five wins in straight sets. (via WTA)
