China Open Day 11: Swiatek and Gauff set up a showdown, Rybakina overpowers Sabalenka

On Friday, the quarterfinals of the women’s singles and doubles took place as scheduled at the Diamond Court and Lotus Court respectively, featuring an impressive lineup of five Grand Slam champions as well as the former China Open champion competing for their spots in the semifinals.

The first match at the Diamond Court was between four-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek and former tournament champion Caroline Garcia. The two had previously faced each other three times, with Swiatek leading 2-1.

In the first two sets, both players showed impeccable form, each winning a set in a tiebreak. In the final set, Swiatek displayed a dominant performance and finally beat Garcia 6-7(8), 7-6(5), 6-1, securing a spot in the semifinals.

The second match featured newly US Open champion Coco Gauff going up against newly crowned WTA 1000 tournament champion Maria Sakkari.

Gauff overcame her previous round’s setback and swept past No.6 seed Sakkari 6-2, 6-4, advancing to the semifinals where she will meet Swiatek.

Meanwhile, the young American extended her winning streak to 16 matches, leading the the Hologic WTA Tour.

Following that, Liudmila Samsonova showcased her steady and fierce performance, defeating Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-2.

She recorded a double victory over her opponent this season and became the only non-seeded player in the women’s singles semifinals as well as the only semifinalist without a Grand Slam title.

The highly anticipated quarterfinal between top seed Aryna Sabalenka and No.5 seed Elena Rybakina took place as the final match at Diamond Court.

The match started off intense with both players displaying fiery performances. Rybakina gained an advantage with a crucial break at the 11th game, securing the first set with a score of 7-5. In the second set, Rybakina continued her aggressive style of play built on strong serve and successfully converted both of her break point opportunities. She finished the match with a score of 6-2, clinching her second consecutive victory over Sabalenka. In the semifinals, she will face Samsonova.

At the Lotus Court, the quarterfinals of the women’s doubles saw Sara Sorribes Tormo and Marie Bouzkova overcome Ellen Perez and Nicole Melichar-Martinez 6-4, 7-6(5), while Luisa Stefani and Ingrid Martins defeated Vera Zvonareva and Laura Siegemund 6-2, 6-3. The two winning pairs will face off in the semifinals.