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Aryna Sabalenka, ranked world No. 2, achieved an impressive comeback by defeating Yulia Putintseva 1-6 6-4 6-0 at the Wuhan Open. This victory propelled her to the quarterfinals and secured her position at the top of the live WTA race rankings. Despite a slow start where she only won one game in the first set, Sabalenka regrouped and dominated the match, increasing her chances of finishing the year as No. 1, especially with Iga Swiatek absent from the Asian tour due to personal reasons and changes within her team.
With this win, Sabalenka extended her unbeaten streak at the Wuhan Open to 14 consecutive victories. Having previously won the tournament in 2018 and 2019, she is now aiming for a rare three-peat following a five-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In her third-round match on Thursday, Sabalenka struggled initially against Putintseva, ranked world No. 35. However, she managed to turn the tide by improving her serve and applying pressure on her opponent in the second set. She ultimately dominated the final set with a 6-0 victory.
Sabalenka showcased her strength with 44 winners, despite making 33 unforced errors. In contrast, Putintseva had 13 winners and 14 unforced errors, struggling to match Sabalenka’s intensity as the match progressed. Sabalenka won 17 of 28 return points in the decisive third set, sealing her commanding finish.
This triumph marks Sabalenka’s sixth comeback win in a WTA 1000 event this year, the most among all players. It also extends her streak to 11 consecutive appearances in a WTA Tour quarterfinal, a remarkable achievement only matched by Swiatek in the past 15 years.
While Sabalenka is benefitting from Swiatek’s recent withdrawals, she expressed her preference for direct competition against her rival. “I love having this competition and I love seeing her in the draw,” Sabalenka explained. “Yeah, I love to, like, get to the finals and face her in the finals. It’s always great battles. I always enjoy fights against her.”
Sabalenka also expressed her optimism for Swiatek’s return to form. “I hope she’ll figure out the coach situation and she’ll be back in the Finals [year-end championships] in her best shape,” the three-time Grand Slam champion added.
While Sabalenka remains focused on her game, she looks forward to continuing their rivalry, possibly culminating in a showdown for the year-end No. 1 ranking at the WTA Finals in Riyadh: “Hopefully we can play against each other there in the Finals, yeah, put it into a fight for world No. 1.”
Up next, Sabalenka will face Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Wuhan Open, who defeated ninth seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-3 6-2. With her confidence soaring, Sabalenka aims to maintain her impressive form and potentially secure another Wuhan title while strengthening her bid for the year-end world No. 1 position.
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