U.S. OPEN champion Aryna Sabalenka extended her winning streak at the Wuhan Open to 19 matches on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, defeating Liudmila Samsonova 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 tournament.
The top-ranked Belarusian’s run includes title wins at Wuhan in 2018, 2019, and 2024.
Earlier, sixth seed Jessica Pegula battled back from an early service break in the deciding set to overcome ninth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 and book her spot in the last eight.
Pegula, who lost in the semifinals of the China Open last week, trailed 2-1 in the third set before winning four of the final five games to secure victory.
The American’s win came a day after she needed seven match points to edge compatriot Hailey Baptiste in the second round. It marked Pegula’s sixth consecutive three-set match — and her fifth win during that stretch.
“I can’t remember the last time I played two sets,” Pegula said. “But I’ve been competing really hard and I’ve been playing a lot of really good players. It was different conditions today with the roof closed and I think it took us a little while to get adjusted.”
Shanghai Masters
Over in Shanghai, seventh-seeded Alex de Minaur became the third player this season to reach 50 tour-level wins after defeating Nuno Borges 7-5, 6-2 in the Shanghai Masters on Wednesday.
De Minaur fired 19 winners en route to his seventh Masters 1000 quarterfinal, finishing the match in one hour and 47 minutes. He joins top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz (67 wins) and Taylor Fritz (50) as the only players to reach the 50-win mark in 2025.
The Australian’s previous best season came in 2024, when he tallied 47 victories and captured two titles.
De Minaur will next face 16th seed Daniil Medvedev, who outlasted Learner Tien 7-6 (6), 6-7 (1), 6-4.
Elsewhere, 12th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime advanced by defeating eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-2. The Canadian will meet Arthur Rinderknech in the quarters after the 54th-ranked Frenchman upset No. 15 Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 7-6 (5).
Rinderknech, who earlier stunned third seed Alexander Zverev, joined his cousin Valentin Vacherot in the last eight — marking a rare family pairing at a Masters event. / From the wires