World number one Aryna Sabalenka set up a Wuhan Open quarter-final against Elena Rybakina with a 6-3 6-2 victory over 16th seed Liudmila Samsonova.
Sabalenka, the three-time defending champion in Wuhan after winning in 2018, 2019 and 2024 after the tournament’s three-year hiatus, conceded just 10 points on her serve as she racked up a 19th straight win in the competition.
Rybakina, ranked ninth in the world, beat Linda Noskova 6-3 6-4 to book her place in the last-eight.
World number two Iga Swiatek faced stiffer competition, battling past Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic 7-6 (7-2) 6-4.
The six-time Grand Slam champion will face Jasmine Paolini in the quarter-finals after the Italian’s last-16 opponent, Clara Tauson, was forced to withdraw mid-match.
The Dane took the first set 6-3 before losing the second set 6-1 as she struggled with an ankle injury.
The 10th seed retired midway through the third set, when she was 3-1 down.
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