Aryna Sabalenka is still perfect in Wuhan.
27-year-old No.1 improved in 20-0 life in Wuhan Open with an impressive 6-3, 6-3 departure of Wimbledon Elena Rybakina on Friday, the three-time defensive champion that marked her 59th season victory and reached its 11th semifinals from 15 tournaments played.
“Always difficult to play against her,” Sabalenka told Rybakina. “We have a really great story against each other. It is always the brilliant battle and it always pushes me to the border.”
Sabalenka is one of the four women who has won all of her first 20 games in the same event since 1990, and the first to reach feat in a WTA 1000 event since the category made its debut in 2009.
How does Sabalenka feel for her perfect record in Wuhan?
“I feel at home every time playing in this stadium – it’s honestly just crazy,” she said.
Things were a little more complicated than the result of the result suggests, but the performance was a stellar from Sabalenka, who improved in 8-5 life against rybakina to place a semi-final with the American Jessica Pegula. Earlier on Friday Pegula won her six-seven last two last two tournaments with a 2-6 6-0 6-3 triumph over Katerina Siniakova without seed.
“She’s a great player and we always play difficult matches against each other,” Sabalenka said. “I’m too excited to face him in Semis.”
Sabalenka has won eight of the previous ten meetings with Buffalo, NY locals, including their last four matches.
It was strong from the beginning to the end against no.8 Rybakina, and passed an uncomplicated opening in the strength of a break in the eighth match for 5-3. Sabalenka, who did good of four of her five opportunities for the match in the match, converted her third point to close the opening, but the second group would prove more complicated.
After racing out to a 4-1 double-break lead, Rybakina came to life by snapping Sabalenka’s run of 27 consecutive service holds, then threatened again two games later as she held a break point to level at four-all. Sabalenka treated the moment, shaken with the holding and broke Rybakina to close the match in 85 minutes.
