Barty reaches Wuhan quarters
Bublik upsets Fritz at Chengdu Open
WUHAN, China, Sept 25, (RTRS): World number one Ash Barty fended off a late comeback attempt by American Sofia Kenin to reach the Wuhan Open quarter-finals on Wednesday, while second seed Karolina Pliskova was knocked out in straight sets by Ukrainian teenager Dayana Yastremska.
After cruising through the first set without any trouble, Barty
fought back from a break down in the next, saving two set points to overcome Kenin 6-3, 7-5 for her third win over the 20-yearold Guangzhou champion in four meetings this season.
Next up for the Australian top seed will be Croatia’s Petra Martic who defeated qualifier Veronika Kudermetova 6-3, 6-1.
World number two Pliskova’s hopes of dethroning Barty as world number one by the end of the week ended with a 6-1, 6-4 defeat by Yastremska.
The unseeded 19-year-old did not drop serve and smashed 26 winners past her Czech opponent for the first top 10 victory of her career.
Yastremska next faces another Czech top 10 opponent in Petra Kvitova, who advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Sloane Stephens – her first win over the former US Open champion.
Wimbledon champion Simona Halep was forced to retire from her match against wildcard Elena Rybakina while trailing 5-4 in the first set after feeling sharp pain in her back. The Romanian had suffered a herniated disk late last year which ruled her out of the season-ending WTA Finals.
Rybakina will next face Belarusian ninth seed Aryna Sabalenka who dispatched sixth-seeded Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens 6-1, 7-6(9).
Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina beat Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 6-2 to stay on course to qualify for the season-ending WTA Finals in Shenzhen where she will bid to retain her title. In Chengdu, China, Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan upset sixthseeded Taylor Fritz 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 at the Chengdu Open on Wednesday.
Bublik had 25 aces against his American opponent and saved four of five break points to advance to the Round of 16.
Denis Shapovalov also advanced with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Ricardas Berankas of Lithuania. The eighthseeded Canadian saved all nine break points to set up a match against American qualifier Bradley Klahn.
Portugal’s Joao Sousa beat wild card Chung Hyeon 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 and next faces second-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Australia’s Jordan Thompson also went through with a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 win over Vasek Pospisil of Canada.