BEIJING — Aryna Sabalenka, Naomi Osaka, Qinwen Zheng and Madison Keys reach the 4th round of the China Open in Beijing.
Sabalenka extended her winning streak to 14 matches with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Ashlyn Krueger in the third round.
Former World No 1 Osaka produced a somewhat routine 6-3 6-2 win over American Katie Volynets.
No.5 seed Qinwen continued her triumphant homecoming with a 6-3, 6-2 defeat of Nadia Podoroska in the third round.
Keys had a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Beatrice Haddad Maia of Brazil.
Sabalenka, of Belarus, won 71.8 per cent of her first-serve points to dispatch Krueger in 74 minutes. “Maybe right now I’m not playing my best, best tennis,” Sabalenka said according to Reuters.
“But I think the way I’m controlling my emotions and the way I’m holding myself sometimes is really helping me to stay in most of the matches, in those difficult situations to keep fighting and keep playing my best tennis,” Sabalenka added.
Sabalenka’s win streak is one shy of her career-best of 15, compiled between Ostrava 2020 and Abu Dhabi 2021.
The reigning Australian Open and US Open champion will next face 18th-seeded Madison Keys, who secured a 6-3, 6-3 win over 13th-seeded Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil.
Also, former No. 1 Naomi Osaka fired five aces to breeze to a 6-3, 6-2 win over Katie Volynets. The victory set up a round of 16 match against fourth-seeded Coco Gauff.
“It’s going to be a really cool test for me,” Osaka said of facing Gauff. “She’s played really well this year. I’m excited to play the match, and I know people are excited to watch the match.”
Russian Anna Kalinskaya held a 3-6, 6-3, 3-1 lead on Peyton Stearns before the latter retired from their match.
Fifth-seeded Qinwen Zheng of China saved five break points in the third game of her match and cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 win over Nadia Podoroska of Argentina.
“When I enter on court, I understand sometimes my form is not that good, forehand or backhand is not that good,” Zheng said according to wtatennis.com.
“But I think the trick is to find a way to resolve this. Of course, this is in my mind. I will try hard not to be distracted by any factors. In the past I lost because I was affected by these factors.
“But now when I’m on court, I’m focused on how to resolve these issues, focused on each point. I can actually execute that.”
She will face 34th-seeded Amanda Anisimova in a rematch of their US Open first-round encounter. Zheng won that match in three sets.
Ninth-seeded Daria Kasatkina of Russia and 16th-seeded Donna Vekic of Croatia fell in their respective third-round matches.
Anisimova improved to 5-0 all-time versus Kasatkina with a 7-6 (1), 6-4 win.
No. 17 seed Mirra Andreeva of Russia overcame a first-set stumble to post a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Vekic.
Roared on once again by a packed Diamond Court, Olympic old medallist Zheng saved five break points against her in the third game of the match.
Once she’d passed that test, the Chinese No.1 rolled, delivering a dominant performance on serve in particular.
Six weeks ago in Cincinnati, Naomi Osaka lost in the second round of qualifying. Afterward, she sat in the locker room “absolutely devastated,” when Taylor Townsend gave her a hug.
“I started sobbing,” Osaka said, “and I think she really felt bad. I was thinking about that moment here. It’s funny how if you keep working, eventually you’ll get opportunities. I don’t think about last year now. I think about the future and what I’m capable of doing.”
This week in Beijing, she is translating that sense of possibility with some serious flashes of her former greatness.
“She’s one of the best players in the world,” Osaka told reporters after defeating Katie Volynets 6-3, 6-2. “I think it’s going to be a really cool test for me. I’m excited to play the match and I know people are excited to watch the match.”
Roared on once again by a packed Diamond Court, Olympic old medallist Zheng saved five break points against her in the third game of the match. Once she’d passed that test, the Chinese No.1 rolled, delivering a dominant performance on serve in particular.
“When I enter on court, I understand sometimes my form is not that good, forehand or backhand is not that good,” Zheng said afterwards.
“But I think the trick is to find a way to resolve this. Of course, this is in my mind. I will try hard not to be distracted by any factors. In the past I lost because I was affected by these factors. But now when I’m on court, I’m focused on how to resolve these issues, focused on each point. I can actually execute that.”
