Sabalenka wins 15th match in a row to reach Beijing quarters

By AFP
October 03, 2024
Belaruss Aryna Sabalenka during the women’s singles match against Madison Keys of US at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing. — AFP/file
Belarus's Aryna Sabalenka during the women’s singles match against Madison Keys of US at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing. — AFP/file 

BEIJING: Top seed Aryna Sabalenka won her 15th match in a row to power into the China Open quarter-finals with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Madison Keys on Wednesday. The US Open champion will face Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic or Spain’s Cristina Bucsa in the last eight in Beijing.

World number two Sabalenka has won more matches on tour this season than anyone else and extended her red-hot streak with a fairly routine victory over the 24th-ranked American. On a sunny Beijing day, Sabalenka and Keys exchanged breaks in the first set for 3-3 before the hard-hitting Belarusian pulled away go a set up. The second took a similar course and Keys double-faulted on the first match point to gift Sabalenka victory in 65 minutes.