Coco Gauff wins 15th-straight game to advance to China Open quarter-finals with victory over Veronika Kudermetova

Coco Gauff extended her winning run to 15 matches on the season with a victory over Veronika Kudermetova at the China Open.

The US Open champion is competing for a third straight title and saved four set points in the opener against Tokyo champion Kudermetova last week before recording a 7-6 (5) 6-2 victory in Beijing.

Gauff will next face sixth seed Maria Sakkari, who battled to a 6-4 2-6 6-3 victory over home hope Wang Xinyu.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is also through to the quarter-finals after beating unseeded Italian Jasmine Paolini 6-4 7-6 (4).

That set up a rematch in the Australian Open final against fifth seed Elena Rybakina, who defeated 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva on Wednesday.

Sabalenka won one of the matches of the season in Melbourne, but lost to her rival in the Indian Wells final.

“I know I will have some chances to win this match,” the top seed said. “In the last match I lost, I got a little nervous and rushed a little more.

“The key against Elena is to stay calm, stay aggressive and don’t rush things.”

Ninth seed Caroline Garcia is also through to the last eight after beating Anna Kalinina 6-3 6-2.