Aryna Sabalenka has been on a dominant run since the Cincinnati Open in August. The Belarusian has reached her tenth consecutive WTA quarterfinal and equaled her career-best streak of 15 wins in a row, a record she had previously set between the 2020 Ostrava and 2021 Dubai tournaments.
Facing an in-form Madison Keys in the fourth round of the China Open, Sabalenka put on a strong performance on Wednesday, with a 72% service rate and winning an impressive 84% of her first-serve points, resulting in a 6-4 6-3 victory. She only dropped five points on her first serve, effectively handling Keys’ groundstroke threats. The current US Open champion also saved both break points she faced, maintaining her unbroken status throughout the match.
Keys, despite her efforts, could not match Sabalenka’s serving efficiency. Despite playing a solid match with 22 winners and only 10 unforced errors, her 56% first-serve conversion rate was not enough to counter Sabalenka’s relentless play.
Sabalenka’s 15-match winning streak started with her win at the Cincinnati Open in August and was boosted by her US Open title. The three-time Grand Slam winner has won 30 out of 31 sets during this incredible run, with her only loss being a set to Ekaterina Alexandrova in the US Open third round. This streak continues Sabalenka’s dominance in 2024, where she already claimed the Australian Open title earlier in the year.
This will be Sabalenka’s third consecutive quarterfinal appearance in Beijing, but she has yet to make it to the semifinals at the China Open. Her next opponent will be Karolina Muchova, the US Open semifinalist, who easily defeated Spain’s Cristina Bucsa 6-2 6-0 to set up the quarterfinal showdown. (source: WTA, photo: Jimmie48)
