Britain’s Katie Boulter pulled off a mouth-watering clash with top seed Aryna Sabalenka at the China Open, while Iga Swiatek admits losing the No. 1 ranking felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
Boulter continued her excellent form by coming through qualifying in Beijing and then beating Magdalena Frech 6-4 3-6 6-2 to set up a round of 32 with top-ranked Sabalenka on Tuesday.
Sabalenka defeated Sofia Kenin 6-1 6-2 in her first match as women’s world number 1.
On the men’s side, Carlos Alcaraz booked his place in the quarter-finals with a 6-2 6-2 win over Italian Lorenzo Musetti, marking his 60th win of the year.
“Today was a perfect match for me,” said Alcaraz, who is making his debut in Beijing. “You can improve and get better every day, but I was proud to play tennis at this level.
“I played high quality, great shots and a great second leg. It was a great match. I enjoyed playing today. I enjoy China.”
Next up for the Spaniard is the seventh seed Casper Ruudwho defeated Tomas Martin Etcheverry 1-6 7-5 7-6 (9-7).
Meanwhile, Swiatek, who won the French Open for the third time earlier this year, plans to focus on improving her game and not just chasing points during the home stretch of the season.
The 22-year-old from Poland inherited the top spot following the retirement of Ashleigh Barty last April and embarked on excellent form in the months that followed to claim three more Grand Slam titles following her breakthrough success at Roland Garros in 2020.
Her remarkable consistency saw her spend 75 weeks at her peak, but a fourth-round defeat at the US Open last month saw Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka finally leapfrog her.
“I think it’s a little easier to get back to the mentality of chasing someone because that’s what we’ve been doing all our lives,” Swiatek said.
“There’s only one person at number one. I think this was harder to get used to last season. But to be honest, it doesn’t really matter to me because after the US Open I knew I would drop to second position.
“I stopped thinking about rankings because I felt like some baggage had been lifted off my shoulders. I was able to focus more on just working and getting back to the calmer and normal rhythm of practice.”
Swiatek is in no rush to regain the top spot and said she wanted to develop as a player in the coming months.
“It’s different because you’re just focusing on the future, not on defending anything,” Swiatek said. “I use that. But in general I’m also afraid that these are the last tournaments of the season, so I won’t be 100 percent fresh.
“My main goal is to do some things differently on the pitch in terms of technique and tactics, to develop as a player, not to really chase points or rankings.”
The impeccable Kudermetova dismantles Pegula to claim the Tokyo title
Veronika Kudermetova claimed her first title of the season and second overall with a comprehensive 7-5 6-1 victory over world number 4 Jessica Pegula in the Pan Pacific Open final in Tokyo.
“I am very happy with my performance today. It is my second title and I am proud of myself,” said Kudermetova, whose previous title was also a WTA 500 crown in Charleston in 2021.
“I prepared myself for a tough match because Jessica is a great player and a great fighter… It’s always nice when you win a big tournament.”
Pegula won’t be too disappointed, however, as her deep run will help her take a big step towards securing a spot in the season-ending WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico.
She will join Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina, who have all qualified for the season finale starting later this month.
Top seeded Our Jabeur won her fifth career title at the Ningbo Open with a 6-2 6-1 victory over teenager Diana Shnaider.
“I felt like I played very well tactically. I had the advantage of having more experience than them to manage certain points,” Jabeur said.
“Playing a final here is more relaxing than playing a Grand Slam final, but I think it will help me gain more confidence and help me manage the pressure and stress.”
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