Aryna Sabalenka Defeats Paolini In The China Open To Go To The Quarterfinals

Aryna Sabalenka, the world’s top player, advanced after losing the second set to Jasmine Paolini, an unseeded opponent, in Beijing on Thursday. After the match, Sabalenka claimed she used her irritation to make sure she advanced to the quarterfinals of the China Open.

In the end, Sabalenka defeated the Italian 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), tying her up with fifth-ranked Elena Rybakina for Friday’s next round. In the first set, neither player gave anything away, but Sabalenka showed her mettle by hitting three consecutive aces to even the score at 5-4. Paolini then double-failed on the next game’s pivotal point.

The Belarusian jumped out to a quick 3-1 lead in the second set, but lost back-to-back service games to hand the advantage to Paolini, who is ranked 36th. But Sabalenka managed to pull herself out of trouble, breaking serve for 5-5 and again for 6-6, before winning the tie-break with a brilliant forehand down the line.

“When I’m upset, there’s a line I shouldn’t cross… Today I was simply trying to remain beneath the line and contain my aggressiveness,” Sabalenka told AFP after the match. The 25-year-old stated, “In some parts of the game, it actually helped me to give myself some energy to fight, to move better, to play better.”