MATCH REPORT | 2024 China Open: Aryna Sabalenka holds off Thai qualifier as Muchova makes moves

The China Open continues on Saturday with Aryna Sabalenka and Karolina Muchova among the leading names through thus far to the third round in Beijing.

World No.1 Sabalenka won earlier in the morning fending off a valiant challenge from Mananchaya Sawangkaew notching up a 6-4, 6-1 win in the second round.

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

Like Pegula yesterday, it is her first action since the 2024 US Open which she won. But Sabalenka who was prolific in particular in Wuhan over previous years has been known to love playing in China and the conditions suit her power heavy game.

She has won four of her 16 career titles in the country and no player has a better winning percentage at WTA 1000 tournaments in China than Sabalenka. She has an 85.7% success rate. Albeit she has never got past the Quarter-Finals in Beijing, something she will hope to remedy this week.

"I'm having 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, feel the vibe, knowing that I kind of gain my fan club here.

"It gives me more motivation to go there and compete and bring my best tennis and make sure I stay till the last stages of the tournament, so I can enjoy this atmosphere as much as possible."

As well as Sabalenka, Karolina Muchova is also through. She was sublime again after her recent US Open brilliance. She took down a tricky opponent in Yue Yuan with surgical precision 6-3, 6-1. She now faces the winner of Jaqueline Cristian and Barbora Krejcikova. The latter is on the verge of victory currently. Other winners today include Jasmine Paolini winning in three sets over Clara Tauson, Amanda Anisimova defeating Camila Osorio and Beatriz Haddad Maia is also through.