Aryna Sabalenka continued her fine form as she made it past Katerina Siniakova in the second round of the Wuhan Open.
Sabalenka’s change in mentality is helping her win matches, with the Belarusian having recently clinched the US Open title.
The world number two followed that up with a disappointing China Open quarter-final exit, but Sabalenka is now fully focused on clinching success at the Wuhan Open.
Sabalenka is eyeing the number one spot, which is currently occupied by Iga Swiatek, who is not taking part in the Wuhan Open.
The former is now into the round of 16 of the tournament following her 6-4, 6-4 win over Siniakova, clinching the victory in one hour and 34 minutes.
After her first-round bye, the three-time Grand Slam champion now meets Yulia Putintseva as she chases yet another Wuhan Open title.
And as per OptaAce, Sabalenka is now the first player to win their first 13 matches in a single city hosting a WTA competition since Maria Sharapova, who recorded 13 wins in Stuttgart between 2012 and 2014.
Sabalenka is truly a force to behold in Wuhan, with the Belarusian having lifted the trophy in 2018 and 2019.
She could, of course, have clinched many more wins over the years, but the tournament has only just returned after a five-year hiatus.
But another title in Wuhan won’t be easy with Putintseva up next, with the world number 35 boasting a 1-0 record over Sabalenka.
READ MORE: Sky Sports pundit Naomi Broady explains what went wrong with Aryna Sabalenka’s game during China Open defeat
She knocked out 15th seed Donna Vekic in their second round clash, and will now be eyeing another big upset against the US Open champion.
But Sabalenka will be full of confidence after a 50th tour-level win of 2024 against Siniakova, with the former behind only Swiatek in such wins this year.
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