Wuhan Open: Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff prepare for the semi-final duel after victories in the quarter-finals | Tennis News

Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff will face off in the semi-finals of the Wuhan Open in China on Saturday after winning comfortably in straight sets in the quarter-finals on Friday.

World No. 1 Sabalenka and No. 4 ranked Gauff will fight for a place in Sunday's Wuhan final, with the winner facing either Wang Xinyu or Qinwen Zheng.

Gauff claimed her eighth consecutive WTA victory and 50th of the year with a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Poland Magda Linette As the 20-year-old American chases back-to-back tournament successes after winning the China Open in Beijing last week.

While Gauff won the first set without losing a game, the American had to save four break points on her serve, with her returns in the crucial moments ultimately proving too strong for Linette.

“I’m really happy with the way I played,” said Gauff, who committed eight double faults in the game.

“Obviously a smooth first set. In the 5-3 game in the second I might have had a chance to finish the game, but I'm glad I was able to finish it with my serve.”

Sabalenka She later reached her third consecutive Wuhan semifinal by defeating a Polish opponent Magdalena Frech 6:2, 6:2 in a one-sided game in which the Belarusian scored 42 wins.

The 26-year-old won the two previous editions of the tournament, 2018 and 2019, before being absent from the calendar for five years following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sabalenka against Gauff for a place in the final on Sunday

Gauff held a 4-3 lead in the pair's previous meetings and famously won the 2023 US Open final before Sabalenka got revenge in this year's Australian Open semifinals.

“We played a lot of games in the past, a lot of great fights,” Sabalenka said. “I’m really excited.”

While Sabalenka vs Gauff will dominate the global headlines, the attention of home fans will be focused on an all-Chinese contest in the other semi-final.

Wang Xinyu fought back from losing the first set and beat the world number 33 Ekaterina Alexandrova 4-6 7-5 7-6 (8-6).

Fifth seed Qinwen Zheng She then joined her compatriot in the quarterfinals by defeating the third seed Italian Jasmine Paolini 6-2 3-6 6-3.

What's coming up on Sky Sports Tennis in October?

• Shanghai Masters – ATP 1000 (October 2-13)
• Wuhan Open – WTA 1000 (October 7-13)
• Almaty Open, Kazakhstan – ATP 250 (October 14-20)
• Stockholm Open, Sweden – ATP 250 (October 14-20)
• European Open, Antwerp – ATP 250 (October 14-20)
• Japan Open, Osaka – WTA 250 (October 14-20)
• Ningbo Open, China – WTA 500 (October 14-20)
• Erste Bank Open, Vienna – ATP 500 (October 21-27)
• Swiss Indoors, Basel – ATP 500 (October 21-27)
• Guangzhou Open, China – WTA 250 (October 21-27)
• Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis, Tokyo – WTA 500 (October 21-27)

Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, the NOW streaming service and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 percent more live sport at no additional cost this year. Find out more here.