Pegula and Gauff Advance in the Wuhan Open; Osaka Surprised
In a day full of emotions at the Wuhan Open, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff managed to advance to the next round, while Naomi Osaka suffered an unexpected defeat. The competition, which brings together the best female tennis players in the world, continues to offer encounters full of intensity and surprises. Jessica Pegula, seeded number six, overcame her compatriot Hailey Baptiste in a tight tiebreak, with a final score of 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (6). Pegula, who needed seven match points to secure the victory, demonstrated her tenacity and skill on the court. In the next phase, Pegula will face Ekaterina Alexandrova, seeded number nine, who previously defeated Ann Li with a score of 7-6 (5), 6-2. Coco Gauff, ranked number three, delivered a dominant performance, defeating Moyuka Uchijima with a resounding 6-1, 6-0 in just 51 minutes. Gauff, following her recent participation in the China Open, demonstrated her excellent form and determination. The surprise of the day was delivered by Linda Noskova, who eliminated Naomi Osaka with a score of 7-6 (2), 6-3. Noskova, from the Czech Republic, continues her outstanding participation in the tournament. Liudmila Samsonova achieved a comeback to defeat Sofia Kenin with scores of 3-6, 6-3, 6-1. For her part, Kateřina Siniaková also secured her pass by defeating Maya Joint 6-3, 6-1. In the third round, Samsonova will face US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated Rebecca Sramkova with a score of 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. Aryna Sabalenka, world number one, has had an exceptional performance in Wuhan, with an 18-0 record and titles in 2018, 2019 and 2024. After a short break, Sabalenka has demonstrated her adaptation and dominance on the court.Sabalenka, after a challenging start, managed to prevail and secure her victory in almost two hours. Sramkova, although she started strong, couldn’t keep up the pace against Sabalenka’s consistency. Karolina Muchova was forced to retire from her match against Magdalena Frech due to the heat and humidity, with a partial score of 7-6 (1), 4-1.I knew that after that little break… it wouldn’t be so easy to get my rhythm back. I’m very happy that in the second set I found my game and got into it, and I think I played very well. I’m very happy to be back. I’ve won many tournaments in China. It feels like home in this stadium, and I really hope I can go all the way.
Aryna Sabalenka
