Sabalenka extends winning streak, Osaka plays against Gauff at the China Open

BEIJING – Aryna Sabalenka’s dominant hard-court season showed no signs of slowing as she cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Ashlyn Krueger at the China Open on Monday for her 14th straight win.

The three-time Grand Slam champion began her winning streak in August with a title in Cincinnati and continued it with a run to the championship at the US Open earlier this month. She also won the Australian Open earlier this year.

Second-seeded Sabalenka converted five of her seven break point chances in a one-sided battle against Krueger and will next face Madison Keys hoping to match her best 15 consecutive wins from the 2020-21 season.

Keys won 6:3, 6:3 against Beatrice Haddad Maia of Brazil. Haddad Maia won the Korea Open last week but struggled to combat Keys’ baseline strength.

Former No. 1 Naomi Osaka continued her positive start under new coach Patrick Mouratoglou with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Katie Volynets to advance to a round of 16 against sixth-seeded Coco Gauff.

It will be the first meeting between the two Grand Slam champions in more than two years, the direct series is tied 2-2.

“This will be a really cool test for me,” Osaka said. “She played really well this year. I’m excited to play the game and I know people are excited to watch the game.”

Osaka, who returned from maternity leave earlier this season and is No. 73 in the current rankings, fired five aces and produced three breaks of serve.

The four-time major winner joined Mouratoglou shortly before the China Open after parting ways with Wim Fisette. Their run here so far is the first time since May that Osaka has picked up three wins in a row.

Also, No. 14 Anna Kalinskaya was leading 3-6, 6-3, 3-1 when Peyton Sterns forfeited her match. She will next play against Yuliia Starodubtseva of Ukraine.

Karolina Muchova defeated Jaqueline Cristian 6:1, 6:3 and will play in the fourth round against the winner of the match between Cristina Bucsa and 24th seed Elise Mertens.

In the men’s draw, Andrey Rublev defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-4, 7-5 in a match that was broadcast from Sunday due to a rain delay.

No. 6-ranked Rublev had six aces and 21 winners, extending his career record to 5-0 against Davidovich Fokina.

The fifth-seeded Russian will face local hero Bu Yunchaokete with number 96 in the quarterfinals.