Rybakina stuns Sabalenka to reach China Open Semis, Gauff set for Swiatek showdown
Posted : 07 October 2023
Elena Rybakina delivered a stellar performance to defeat the world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets, securing her spot in the semi-finals of the China Open. The fifth-seeded Kazakhstani capitalized on Sabalenka's erratic serving, particularly in the first set, to clinch a closely contested opening set before dominating the match. Rybakina's powerful serving, including 12 aces, and her ability to create and convert break opportunities allowed her to seal the victory with a score of 7-5, 6-2.
In the semi-finals, Elena Rybakina is set to face Liudmila Samsonova, who secured her spot with an impressive victory over Jelena Ostapenko. Samsonova displayed excellent serve statistics, winning over 90 percent of points behind her first serve, on her way to a convincing 6-3, 6-2 win.
On the other side of the draw, Coco Gauff, the US Open champion, continued her strong form by defeating Maria Sakkari with a score of 6-2, 6-4 in a comfortable quarter-final match. Gauff's victory sets up a highly anticipated semi-final showdown against former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek. Swiatek showcased her resilience by coming back from losing the first set against Caroline Garcia to win 6-7(8), 7-6(5), 6-1.
The semi-finals promise an exciting clash between two formidable players, with Gauff eager to take on the challenge of facing Swiatek once again after their previous encounters in Cincinnati. Gauff expressed her enthusiasm, saying, "It's going to be a tough match. We had a tough match in Cincinnati, but I'm really excited and focused to play tomorrow."
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