World number 3 Elina Svitolina beat Elena Vesnina 6-2 7-5 to advance to the quarter finals at the China Open.
Vesnina saved two break points in a long second game before converting her third break point to open up a 2-1 lead in the third game after half an hour. Svitolina converted her fourth break point in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2. The Ukrainian player broke serve to love in the eighth game to seal the opening set 6-2 after reeling off five consecutive games. Vesnina made 20 unforced errors, as she dropped her first set of this tournament.
Svitolina won her seventh consecutive game to build up a 6-2 1-0 lead with a hold to love. Vesnina broke the losing streak of seven consecutive games and held her next service games en route to 3-3. Vesnina brought up her first break point in Svitolina’s fourth service game. Svitolina held her nerve fending off five break points in a 13-minute game but Vesnina converted her sixth chance to take a 4-3 lead. The Russian player held her serve in a 10-minute eighth game to open up a 5-3 lead. Svitolina recovered by breaking back before holding her serve to take the 6-5 lead. Svitolina wrapped up the match with another break in the 12th game.
Svitolina set up a quarter final against last week’s Wuhan champion Elina Svitolina who beat her compatriot Alizé Cornet.
This year’s Roland Garros and number 9 seed Jelena Ostapenko advanced to the quarter final, after China’s Shuai Peng was forced to withdraw from the match injured, as she fell behind 0-3 in the first set. Ostapenko earned an early break in the first game with a crosscourt forehand winner to take a 1-0 lead. Ostapenko held her service game easily in the second game. Peng earned a game point for 2-1 but Ostapenko saved it with a backhand return. The young Latvian player converted her third double break point to race out to a 3-0 lead. Peng called for the trainer and a few minutes later she called it a day.
“Maybe for me, it was a little advantage that I didn’t have to play the full match, as I was playing a lot of matches in the last couple of weeks, so I can rest a little bit more”, said Ostapenko.
