Aryna Sabalenka saved nine match points before losing in three sets to Ann Li at the Wuhan Open on Wednesday, in a dramatic round-of-32 match that also saw the top seed and four-time major winner require treatment on her taped-up right knee.
Li came back from 4-2 down in the second set to win 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5). The American clinched victory on her 10th match point, the first one she had on her own serve. It is now two straight losses for Sabalenka, a three-time champion in Wuhan, who was beaten by Nikola Bartunkova in the round of 32 at the China Open last week. Her previous event was the U.S. Open, where she lost the final to Elena Rybakina.
A Tense Deciding Set
Sabalenka trailed 4-1 in the third set when she called for treatment on her right knee, which was already taped. She then fell behind 5-2 before rallying to 5-5 and forcing a tiebreaker. Li produced a big forehand winner on her final match point, securing one of the biggest wins of her career.
Earlier, second seed Jessica Pegula squandered three match points and lost to Jelena Ostapenko in three sets. Ostapenko won 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-3 in an unlikely comeback, saving match points three times in the second set. The loss came in Pegula’s first match in more than a month. She had not played since losing to Sabalenka in the U.S. Open semifinals, and she missed events in Singapore and Beijing after taking an extended break because of the physical toll of her busy summer schedule. Pegula was a finalist in Wuhan last year.
Swiatek Cruises Into Round of 16
Iga Swiatek had a much easier time, beating Magdalena Frech 6-2, 6-1 to reach the round of 16. The six-time major winner, seeded seventh, started slowly, dropping an early service game and falling behind 2-0. She then won six straight games to take the first set and kept her momentum going by winning four consecutive games to open the second. Swiatek reached the quarterfinals of the China Open in Beijing recently.
Other Results
No. 5 Elina Svitolina defeated Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 5-7, 6-2. No. 170-ranked Sonay Kartal upset ninth-seeded Belinda Bencic 6-0, 7-5. Sixth-seeded Karolina Muchova beat Caty McNally 3-6, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (4) and will next face Diana Shnaider.