Wuhan Open: Zheng Qinwen, Wang Xinyu defeat former US Open finalists to reach last 8
Coco Gauff, who won the China Open last week, is the last American standing, while a win for Aryna Sabalenka will give her top ranking
Coco Gauff has advanced to the quarter-finals of the Wuhan Open with a 6-4, 6-1 rout of 17th-ranked Marta Kostyuk in just over an hour on Thursday.
It was the fourth-ranked Gauff’s eighth consecutive win on the WTA Tour’s Asian swing after the American won the China Open last week, a win that moved her back into the top five in the rankings.
Gauff fired two aces and broke the Ukrainian’s serve five times – for the loss of one of her own – as she clinched a one-sided match and extended her lead in their head-to-head series to 3-1.
“I’m really happy with how I played today,” Gauff said. “It was a pretty straightforward match. Marta and I always have some good battles. Today I was able to get through in straight sets.”
In another round of 16 match, Chinese Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen defeated former US Open finalist Leyla Fernandez 5-7, 6-3, 6-0.
The fifth seed Chinese star will in the quarter-finals face third seed Italian Jasmine Paolini, who beat Russia’s Erika Andreeva 6-3, 6-2.
