Sabalenka Extends Wuhan Dominance, Alcaraz Wins Again

Sabalenka Extends Wuhan Dominance, Alcaraz Wins Again

Second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka continued her dominance at the Wuhan Open, securing a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Katerina Siniakova in the second round. The reigning US Open champion extended her undefeated streak in Wuhan to 13-0, having won the title in 2018 and 2019.

Sabalenka’s victory sets up a third-round clash with Yulia Putintseva, who defeated Donna Vekic. The Belarusian star needs only to reach the quarterfinals to reclaim the top spot in the rankings from Iga Swiatek.

Meanwhile, six Americans competed in second-round matches on Wednesday. Coco Gauff cruised past Viktoriya Tomova, while Hailey Baptiste upset 10th-ranked Barbora Krejcikova. Magdalena Frech defeated eighth-ranked Emma Navarro, and Daria Kasatkina overcame Bernarda Pera. However, Amanda Anisimova withdrew from her match against Marta Kostyuk.

In the men’s draw, Jannik Sinner avenged his loss to Ben Shelton in last year’s Shanghai Masters, defeating the American 6-4, 7-6 (1). Sinner will face Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals, who beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets.

Second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz extended his winning streak to 12 with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Gael Monfils. The French Open and Wimbledon champion will play Tomas Machac or Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals.

Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, and Taylor Fritz are among the other top players in action on Wednesday.