Sabalenka extends win streak, Osaka to play Gauff at China Open

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts after defeating Ashlyn Krueger of the United States during the China Open tennis tournament held at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

BEIJING — Aryna Sabalenka’s dominant hard-court season showed no signs of slowing down as she cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Ashlyn Krueger at the China Open on Monday for her 14th consecutive victory.

The three-time Grand Slam winner started her streak with a title at Cincinnati in August and continued with a run to the championship at the U.S. Open earlier this month. She also won the Australian Open earlier in the year.

The second-ranked Sabalenka converted five of her seven breakpoint opportunities in a lopsided contest against Krueger and will next face Madison Keys, hoping to equal her career-best 15 consecutive victories set in 2020-21.

READ: US Open: Sabalenka beats Pegula for third grand slam title

Keys had a 6-3, 6-3 win over Beatrice Haddad Maia of Brazil. Haddad Maia won the Korea Open last week but struggled to combat the baseline power of Keys.

Former No. 1 Naomi Osaka continued her positive start with new coach Patrick Mouratoglou with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Katie Volynets, advancing to a round of 16 match against sixth-ranked Coco Gauff.

It will be the first meeting between the two Grand Slam champions in more than two years, with the head-to-head series tied at 2-2.

“It’s going to be a really cool test for me,” Osaka said. “She’s played really well this year. I’m excited to play the match, and I know people are excited to watch the match.”

Osaka, who returned from maternity leave at the start of this season and is No. 73 in the current rankings, fired five aces and produced three service breaks.

The four-time major winner joined Mouratoglou shortly before the China Open after splitting with Wim Fisette. Her run here so far is the first time since May that Osaka has had three consecutive wins.

READ: Sabalenka downs Pegula to win WTA Cincinnati Open

Also, No. 14-ranked Anna Kalinskaya was leading 3-6, 6-3, 3-1 when Peyton Sterns retired from their match. She will next play Yuliia Starodubtseva of Ukraine.

Karolina Muchova beat Jaqueline Cristian 6-1, 6-3 and will play the winner of the match between Cristina Bucsa and 24th-seeded Elise Mertens in the fourth round.

In the men’s draw, Andrey Rublev beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-4, 7-5 in a match that was carried over from Sunday because of a rain delay.

No. 6-ranked Rublev had six aces and 21 winners to extend his career record against Davidovich Fokina to 5-0.

The fifth-seeded Russian will play local favorite No. 96-ranked Bu Yunchaokete in the quarterfinals.