Aryna Sabalenka is still perfect in Wuhan.
The 27-year-old world No.1 improved to 20-0 lifetime at the Wuhan Open with an impressive 6-3, 6-3 takedown of former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina on Friday, the three-time defending champion notching her 59th win of the season and reaching her 11th semifinal from 15 tournaments played.
“Always tough to play against her,” Sabalenka said of Rybakina. “We have a really great history against each other, it’s always great battles and she always pushes me to the limit.”
Sabalenka is one of four women to have won all of her first 20 matches at the same event since 1990, and the first to achieve the feat at a WTA 1000 event since the category made its debut in 2009.
How does Sabalenka feel about her perfect record in Wuhan?
“I feel at home every time playing in this stadium – honestly it’s just crazy,” she said.
Things were a little more complicated than the breezy scoreline suggests, but the performance was a stellar one from Sabalenka, who improved to 8-5 lifetime against Rybakina to set a semifinal with American Jessica Pegula. Earlier on Friday Pegula won her sixth three-setter of the last two tournaments with a 2-6 6-0 6-3 triumph over unseeded Katerina Siniakova.
“She’s a great player and we always play tough matches against each other,” Sabalenka said. “I’m super excited to face her in the semis.”
Sabalenka has won eight of ten previous meetings with the Buffalo, N.Y. native, including their last four matches.
She was strong from start to finish against No.8 seeded Rybakina, and got through an uncomplicated opening set on the strength of a break in the eighth game for 5-3. Sabalenka, who made good of four of her five break opportunities in the match, converted her third set point to lock up the opener, but the second set would prove trickier.
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 handled the moment, wiggled out with the hold, and broke Rybakina to close the match in 85 minutes.
