Wuhan Open Round-Up: Elena Rybakina back in form, Noskova ousts Osaka, as Pegula escapes late scare
The second round of the WTA 1000 Wuhan Open concluded on Day Three, featuring victories for Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini, who continue their close fight to secure their spot in the WTA Finals. The main match of the day was marked by the elimination of Naomi Osaka at the hands of the 20-year-old Czech star Linda Nosková, who continued her hot streak after reaching the China Open final a week ago and dispatched the former World No. 1 in straight sets. Pegula survives three-set thriller The World No. 6 Jessica Pegula secured a hard-fought three-set victory, lasting almost three hours, against her compatriot Hailey Baptiste (No. 55) with a score of 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 [8-6]. Pegula squandered up to six match points before finally claiming the win. The 2024 US Open runner-up returned to winning ways after a disappointing semifinal exit at the China Open—a match she ultimately lost in a third-set tiebreak. This time, Pegula claimed her personal revenge by winning the deciding tiebreak. The match was a rollercoaster, with Pegula surviving an erratic first set on her serve to take the 6-4 lead. In the second set, Baptiste took control, managing her advantage in a battle of breaks to level the score against Pegula. Heading into the third set, Pegula served with a 5-2 lead and had several match points—both on her serve and on return—but Baptiste managed to level the score and force the final tiebreak. There, Pegula's seniority prevailed, and she secured a victory that sends her to the Round of 16, where she will face Ekaterina Alexandrova (9th seed). Match Statistics Baptiste vs. Pegula Noskova takes down Osaka in straight-sets win This was one of the duels of the day in Wuhan, featuring the 4-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka—a fan favorite—up against the recent Beijing finalist, Linda Nosková. The Czech once again displayed the level that took her to her first WTA 1000 final last week, securing the victory 7-6(2), 6-3 against an erratic Osaka on serve. The Japanese star had barely 47% of first serves in—though she was effective with an 88% success rate—but she fell short on critical points. The first set saw no break opportunities for either player and went to a tiebreak, where Nosková secured five consecutive mini-breaks to claim the set. In the second set, both players exchanged two break chances each, but it was Nosková who secured the only break of the match late in the set, closing out the victory in one hour and 29 minutes. This marks her third victory against a Top 20 player in under 10 days. Match Statistics Osaka vs. Noskova Paolini fights back to secure crucial win The World No. 8 Jasmine Paolini rescued a hard-fought victory against local player Yue Yuan, advancing to the Round of 16 of the Wuhan Open in a battle that spanned three sets. The Italian had to come back from a set down to stay in the competition, ultimately winning 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. In the first set, Yuan (No. 109) was impeccable on serve, conceding only four service points and capitalizing on the only two break chances Paolini allowed. The local player began to surprise, but Paolini reacted strongly. In the subsequent sets, she landed over 80% of her first serves, which was key to saving every break point she faced. With patience, the Italian secured a late break in the second set, and then forged ahead with a mid-set break in the third to set the course for victory. Paolini claims a crucial win as she remains in the dispute for a spot in the WTA Finals, and she will face the Danish 10th seed Clara Tauson in her next match. Match Statistics Paolini vs. Yuan Rybakina rebounds from Beijing loss with impressive straight-sets win The World No. 10 Elena Rybakina was on a mission to get back to winning ways after her early exit at the China Open—where she barely reached the Round of 32 before losing to Eva Lys. This time, the Kazakh was impressive from the start, proving superior to her opponent Jaqueline Cristian, securing a 6-4, 6-3 victory. It was a dominant serving performance from Rybakina; she conceded zero break points, fired 11 aces, and won an incredible 89% of points on her first serve. The dynamic was clear from the first set, where Cristian struggled in most of her service games while failing to seriously threaten Rybakina's serve. The Kazakh secured a late break and held onto her serve to take the lead. Things were even better for Rybakina in the second set—she quickly stole a break right away to go up 3-0, needing only to hold her serve for the rest of the match to secure the 6-4, 6-3 victory after one hour and 24 minutes. Rybakina advances to the third round and keeps her fight for a spot in the WTA Finals alive. She will face the inspired Linda Nosková for a spot in the quarterfinals. Match Statistics Cristian vs. Rybakina