Aryna Sabalenka Dominates into Wuhan Open Third Round with Wins from Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula
Sabalenka Triumphs Over Sramkova to Advance in Wuhan Open
Sabalenka Overcomes a Tough Start to Secure Victory
Aryna Sabalenka, the reigning US Open champion, secured a hard-fought win over Rebecca Sramkova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, advancing to the third round of the Wuhan Open. Sabalenka, returning to the court for her first match since her US Open triumph, faced early challenges as Sramkova initially dominated. Despite this, Sabalenka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, bounced back to maintain her unbeaten streak in Wuhan Open matches, now at 18. Next, she is set to play against Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova on Thursday morning.
Sabalenka Reflects on Her Performance
“Rebecca played incredible tennis, especially in the first set. There wasn’t much I could do,” Sabalenka remarked. She acknowledged the difficulty of regaining her rhythm after a brief break from tennis but expressed relief and happiness at finding her game during the second set. “I’ve won a lot of tournaments in China. It feels like home in this stadium and I really hope I can go all the way,” she added.
Intense Court Action and Strategic Plays
Both players struggled with their service games initially, with Sramkova capitalizing on Sabalenka’s rustiness to seize the first set quickly. However, Sabalenka increased her aggression in the second set, eventually saving four break points in a crucial long game. Her determination was evident as she broke twice in the final set, combining power and precision to seal her victory.
Other Notable Performances in Wuhan
Among the other competitors, Coco Gauff delivered a dominant performance, defeating Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima 6-1, 6-0. This win sets Gauff up for a match against Chinese wildcard Zhang Shuai. Meanwhile, Jessica Pegula showed resilience despite being broken twice while serving for the match. She narrowly defeated Hailey Baptiste in a deciding tie-break, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), setting a third-round match against Ekaterina Alexandrova.
- Naomi Osaka faced an unexpected defeat against Linda Noskova, falling 7-6 (7-2), 6-3.
- Liudmila Samsonova rallied to defeat Sofia Kenin 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.
- Katerina Siniakova won against Maya Joint with a score of 6-3, 6-1.
- Karolina Muchova retired due to heat and humidity while trailing Magdalena Frech 7-6 (7-1), 4-1.
For comprehensive coverage of the ATP and WTA Tours, watch live on Sky Sports or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app. Sky Sports offers its customers access to a significantly increased portfolio of live sports this year at no additional cost. Discover more about the offerings at Emegypt.
