MATCH REPORT | 2024 China Open: Aryna Sabalenka holds her own against Thai qualifier and Muchova makes progress

The world number one Sabalenka fended off a courageous attack from Mananchaya Sawangkaew 6:4, 6:1 in the second round in the morning.

She had her hands full at times with the up-and-coming 22-year-old, who is a bit of an unknown quantity, but a player who gets wins and momentum and has nothing to lose. But she prevailed after 76 minutes to seal her 13th straight victory.

Like Pegula yesterday, it is her first appearance since the 2024 US Open, which she won. But Sabalenka, who has had particular success in Wuhan in recent years, is known to enjoy playing in China and the conditions suit her powerful game.

They have won four of their 16 career titles in this country, and no player has a better winning percentage at WTA 1000 tournaments in China than Sabalenka. It has a success rate of 85.7%. However, she has never made it past the quarterfinals in Beijing, which she hopes will change this week.

“I have a lot of great memories from the past,” Sabalenka said. “I don’t even know how many tournaments I won in China. It’s always great to come back and feel the atmosphere, experience the vibe and know that I have my fan club here.”

“This gives me even more motivation to go there and show my best tennis and make sure I stay until the end of the tournament so I can enjoy this atmosphere as much as possible.”