Aryna Sabalenka promises to keep feasting on ‘this’ Chinese delicacy after defeating Madison Keys in Beijing
Fueled by Chinese fried rice, Aryna Sabalenka needed just 65 minutes to beat Madison Keys in the quarterfinals of the China Open.
Aryna Sabalenka (via X/liviefromparis)
Reigning US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka is making the most of her form as the Belarusian ace reached the quarterfinals of the 2024 China Open, beating America’s Madison Keys in straight sets on Tuesday (October 1). After the win, Sabalenka promised that she would continue to feast on Chinese fried rice as it has been working well for her.
Following her 65-minute 6-4, 6-3 win over Keys, Sabalenka was asked if she would be celebrating the win with the Chinese fried rice. To this, the World No. 2 replied that she already had it a day before but would continue to feast on it.
I mean, I had it [Chinese fried rice] yesterday. It seems like it’s working really well so I’m just gonna keep doing what I’m doing.
Aryna Sabalenka said during her on-court interview
With the win over Keys, Sabalenka extended her winning streak to 15 matches. Her last defeat came on August 10 in the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open. The 26-year-old has won the Cincinnati Masters and the US Open since then.
Aryna Sabalenka eyes the World No. 1 ranking
In the absence of Iga Swiatek in China, Aryna Sabalenka is looking to close the gap in the ranking points between the two players. Despite her wins in Cincinnati and New York, Sabalenka trails Swiatek by 2,169 points. The Belarusian ace, however, is determined to achieve the World No. 1 ranking by the end of the year.
After the US Open win and also before the start of the Asian swing, Sabalenka announced that she was targeting to go all the way in the remaining three tournaments of the year. She said that her goal was to reach the top of the WTA rankings.
Of course that’s one of my goals, to finish the season at world No 1. I’m not trying to focus on that, I’m trying to focus on my game. There is only three tournaments left. I’m just trying to bring my best tennis on court. After the season, I’ll see if it was enough to finish the year at No 1 or have to improve something else to get to No 1.
Aryna Sabalenka said (H/T: Gulf News)
The three tournaments that Sabalenka has in sight are the Beijing Open (WTA 1000), Wuhan Open (WTA 1000), and Tokyo Open (WTA 500). Having reached the quarterfinals in Beijing, Sabalenka is set to face Karolina Muchova. If she defeats the Czech player, she might meet Mirra Andreeva or Qinwen Zheng in the semifinals.
Ritesh Pathak
(2087 Articles Published)