Sabalenka wins 15th match in a row to reach Beijing quarters

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka won her 15th match in a row to power into the China Open quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Madison Keys on Wednesday.

The US Open champion will face Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic or Spain's Cristina Bucsa in the last eight in Beijing.

World No 2 Sabalenka has won more matches on tour this season than anyone else and extended her red-hot streak with a fairly routine victory over the 24th-ranked American.

On a sunny Beijing day, Sabalenka and Keys exchanged breaks in the first set for 3-3 before the hard-hitting Belarusian pulled away go a set up.

what a get 😮‍💨@SabalenkaA | #ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/1yG61PaOP6

— wta (@WTA) October 2, 2024

The second took a similar course and Keys double-faulted on the first match point to gift Sabalenka victory in 65 minutes.

Sabalenka is on a collision course in the semifinals with China's Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, who faces 43rd-ranked Amanda Anisimova in the last 16 later Wednesday.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka can take a major step towards overhauling Iga Swiatek at the top of the rankings by lifting the title in Beijing.

Swiatek is not playing in the Chinese capital because of "personal matters".