Sabalenka wins again, Osaka to play Gauff at China Open

The second-ranked Sabalenka converted five of her seven break point opportunities in a lopsided contest against Krueger on Monday and will next face Madison Keys, hoping to equal her career-best 15 consecutive victories set in 2020-21.

Keys had a 6-3 6-3 win over Beatrice Haddad Maia of Brazil. Haddad Maia won the Korea Open last week but struggled to combat the baseline power of Keys.

Former No.1 Naomi Osaka continued her positive start with new coach Patrick Mouratoglou with a 6-3 6-2 victory over Katie Volynets, advancing to a round of 16 match against sixth-ranked Coco Gauff.

It will be the first meeting between the two Grand Slam champions in more than two years, with the head-to-head series tied 2-2. 

"It's going to be a really cool test for me," Osaka said. "She's played really well this year. I'm excited to play the match, and I know people are excited to watch the match."

Osaka, who returned from maternity leave at the start of this season and is No.73 in the current rankings, fired five aces and produced three service breaks.

The four-time major winner joined Mouratoglou soon before the China Open after splitting with Wim Fisette. Her run here so far is the first time since May that Osaka has had three consecutive wins.

No.14-ranked Anna Kalinskaya was leading 3-6 6-3 3-1 when Peyton Sterns retired from their match, and will next play Yuliia Starodubtseva of Ukraine.

Karolina Muchova beat Jaqueline Cristian 6-1 6-3 and will play the winner out of Cristina Bucsa and 24th-seeded Elise Mertens in the fourth round.

In the men's draw, Andrey Rublev beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-4 7-5 in a match carried over from Sunday due to rain.

No.6-ranked Rublev had six aces and 21 winners to extend his career record against Davidovich Fokina to 5-0.

The fifth-seeded Russian will play local favourite, No.96-ranked Bu Yunchaokete, in the quarter-finals.