Wuhan Open Round-Up: Three-time champion Aryna Sabalenka survives as Coco Gauff brushes aside opener

Jessica Pegula survived a marathon of her own making earlier today but Aryna Sabalenka on the otherhand was made to fight in a tournament which is very much the one that is associated with the World No.1, the Wuhan Open.

Sabalenka is a three-time champion in the Wuhan Open and has shown prior to her incredible rise to the top of the sport that it is very much the one that is earmarked on her calendar every year. But she nearly fell to the tricky Slovak, Rebecca Sramkova. She needed a set to find her mojo as she prevailed 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Sabalenka won her first WTA 1000 title back in 2018 in the event and has yet to lose a match in the tournament. In her three time run, she sits at 18-0. The longest streak in an event since Caroline Wozniacki back at New Haven, an event not even on the tour anymore between 2008 and 2012. So it is very much right and just that she is often spoke about in regards to this event.

Sramkova though is also unbeaten in Wuhan albeit she'd only played it once. She saw off Anna Kalinskaya in her opener. She won her first title in Hua Hin last year and made two further finals to reach the top 50. It has been steady if not unspectacular since then and given she of course has to defend those points it is very much an interesting time for her.

Sramkova was in the ascendancy though early on as she came out flying out the blocks with Sabalenka undercooked. She hasn't played since the US Open with a mixture of injuries and also enjoying time off ahead of a busy end to the year and she missed Beijing last week as a result. So there was likely to be some rust on her part.

The rustiness was very much evident early as Sramkova broke in the third game after they both exchanged holds early on. The Slovak made few errors as she did not allow Sabalenka breathing room to get back into the tie. She wrapped the opener up with a strong hold in 35 minutes. Sabalenka though responded in kind.