Aryna Sabalenka continued her dominant season with a commanding 6-3, 6-3 victory over Elena Rybakina to reach the semifinals of the Wuhan Open. The world number one showed her trademark power and precision to register her 11th semifinal appearance of the year, extending her unbeaten record at the Wuhan tournament to 20-0.
Sabalenka, who has now won ten consecutive matches, improved her head-to-head record against Rybakina to 8-5. The Belarusian looked sharp from the start, breaking the Kazakh’s serve late in the first set to claim it 6-3 after 43 minutes. Despite the sweltering temperatures above 30°C, Sabalenka maintained her intensity, breaking twice early in the second set to move 4-1 up. Rybakina managed to claw one break back but could not prevent Sabalenka from sealing another straight-sets victory and advancing to face Jessica Pegula in the semifinals.
Pegula reached the last four after a gritty 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 comeback win over Katerina Siniakova. The sixth seed celebrated her 50th win of the season and her third consecutive semifinal appearance following strong runs in Beijing and the US Open. The American has played several marathon matches lately, with seven straight three-set encounters in just over two weeks. Despite having her left thigh taped, Pegula dismissed any injury concerns, saying it was merely precautionary.
Meanwhile, Coco Gauff powered into her second straight Wuhan semifinal with a 6-3, 6-0 triumph over Laura Siegemund. The 21-year-old American has been in sensational form, dropping just nine games across three matches. Gauff converted five of eight break points and needed only 85 minutes to complete the victory, showcasing her consistency and growing confidence.
The biggest shock of the day came from Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, who dismantled world number two Iga Swiatek 6-1, 6-2 in just 65 minutes. It was Paolini’s first win over Swiatek in seven attempts, achieved through aggressive baseline play and flawless execution. The seventh seed will now meet Gauff for a spot in the final.
With Sabalenka and Gauff in formidable form and Paolini playing with newfound belief, the Wuhan Open semifinals promise high-quality action as the season nears its climax.
