Sabalenka in Boss Mode at Wuhan: World No. 1 Dismisses Samsonova with Ease and Advances to Quarterfinals

Back in action this week after missing Beijing, Aryna Sabalenka had no trouble dispatching Liudmila Samsonova.

Following Jessica Pegula's qualification at the expense of Ekaterina Alexandrova, it was time for the second round of 16 match at the WTA 1000 in Wuhan on Center Court.

This time, it was world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka who took the court against a player she knows well, Liudmila Samsonova. The Russian has posed some problems for Sabalenka in the past, even though the latter leads their head-to-head 3-2 before this new encounter between the two players.

This is the second time Sabalenka and Samsonova have met in 2025, a few months after their quarterfinal duel at the WTA 1000 in Indian Wells earlier in the season.

At that time, this year's US Open winner had prevailed in two sets (6-2, 6-3 in 1h22) and wanted to repeat that performance against a top 20 player. Absent from Beijing, Sabalenka found her rhythm in the first round by narrowly defeating Rebecca Sramkova (4-6, 6-3, 6-1), but now seems to be in full swing.

Powerless, Samsonova, who had previously eliminated Emiliana Arango (6-1, 7-5) and Sofia Kenin (3-6, 6-3, 6-1), could not create a single break point opportunity and logically fell in two sets (6-3, 6-2 in 1h12).

Aryna Sabalenka, the defending champion of this WTA 1000 in Wuhan, qualifies for the quarterfinals where she will face Elena Rybakina or Linda Noskova, who just reached her first WTA 1000 final in Beijing.