Elina Svitolina advances to the Wuhan Open quarterfinals with win over local wild-card entry

Elina Svitolina defeated Guo Hanyu to advance to the quarterfinals at the Wuhan Open. | Photo Credit: AFP

Fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina broke Guo Hanyu’s serve in the opening and final games of the match and beat the Chinese wild-card entry 6-1, 6-4 Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals at the Wuhan Open.

Svitolina lost in the quarterfinals at the China Open last week to eventual champion Zheng Qinwen.

Guo had her first career top-20 win in the first round of the WTA 1,000-level tournament in Wuhan, rallying from 6-1, 4-0 down and saving triple match point in the second-set tiebreaker to upset 12th-seeded Sorana Cirstea 1-6, 7-6 (6), 7-5. Guo, ranked 240th, trailed 5-3 in the third set.

Wimbledon finalist and sixth-seeded Karolina Muchova lost 7-5, 6-3 to 11th-seeded Diana Shnaider in an earlier result.

On Wednesday, top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka and second-seeded Jessica Pegula lost their second-round matches. It marked two straight losses for Sabalenka, who was beaten by Nikola Bartunkova in the third round at the China Open last week and had a bye in the opening round at Wuhan.

Among the later matches Thursday, seventh-seeded Iga Swiatek was scheduled to play Ashlyn Krueger.