10/15/2026 10:47:00
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10/15 10:45 CDT Swiatek boosts WTA Finals bid at Wuhan Open but rival Muchova
goes out
Swiatek boosts WTA Finals bid at Wuhan Open but rival Muchova goes out
WUHAN, China (AP) --- Iga Swiatek kept up her push to qualify for the WTA
Finals as she ground out a 6-1, 6-4 win over American Ashlyn Krueger to reach
the quarterfinals of the Wuhan Open and take advantage of a loss for Karolina
Muchova on Thursday.
Krueger, in the draw as a lucky loser after defeat in qualifying, was able to
put pressure on Swiatek for parts of the second set, despite racking up 44
unforced errors to the Polish player's 27.
Swiatek will face another American in the quarterfinals after Ann Li eliminated
Indonesia's Janice Tjen 6-1, 7-6 (1) later Thursday.
Winning the title would allow Swiatek to put pressure on Muchova in the Race to
the WTA Finals rankings ahead of the season-ending event next month in Indian
Wells, California. Swiatek, who's reached the finals each year since 2021, is
10th in the Race with the top eight qualifying.
Wimbledon finalist and sixth-seeded Muchova lost 7-5, 6-3 to 11th-seeded Diana
Shnaider, who next plays former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.
Fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina broke Guo Hanyu's serve in the opening and final
games and beat the Chinese wild-card entry 6-1, 6-4 to advance to the
quarterfinals.
Guo was coming off a breakout run, including her first career top-20 win in the
first round against Sorana Cirstea despite being ranked 240th.
Elina Svitolina, who lost in the quarterfinals at the China Open last week to
eventual champion Zheng Qinwen, next plays Sonay Kartal after the British
player stunned Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-0 in barely an hour.
Tenth-seeded young American Iva Jovic was upset 6-4, 6-1 by Maja Chwalinska.
On Wednesday, top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka and second-seeded Jessica Pegula lost
their second-round matches.
It marked two straight losses for Sabalenka, who was beaten by Nikola
Bartunkova in the third round at the China Open last week and had a bye in the
opening round at Wuhan.
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