Wuhan: Swiatek wins 150th WTA 1000 match as Muchova falls in Finals race

The race for the last place at the WTA Finals swung back into play on Thursday at the Wuhan Open. Iga Swiatek beat American lucky loser Ashlyn Krueger 6-1, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals, while her direct rival for the final spot, sixth seed Karolina Muchova, was knocked out 7-5, 6-3 by Diana Shnaider.

Swiatek joins an exclusive club

Swiatek dropped just one game in the opening set on centre court before Krueger, one of the tour's biggest hitters, found more rhythm in the second. The Pole held her nerve to close the match out and, according to AFP, the win was her 150th at WTA 1000 level. That makes her only the third player since 1990 to reach the mark within her first 50 main-draw appearances at this level, alongside Martina Hingis and Serena Williams.

"I just wanted to focus on adjusting and being brave and, at the end, I'm happy that I was," said the seventh seed, who is one of only two top-10 seeds left in a draw that has already lost Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Muchova and Iva Jovic.

Why Muchova's loss matters

Seven of the eight places for the WTA Finals, held at Indian Wells from November 7 to 14, are already taken. Elina Svitolina sealed her return on Wednesday – her first qualification since 2019 – joining Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Mirra Andreeva, Pegula, Coco Gauff and Linda Nosková.

Going into Thursday, Muchova led Swiatek by more than 800 points in the race, according to Punto de Break, and could have clinched the spot by reaching the Wuhan final. Her defeat to Shnaider removes that option. With Wuhan the last WTA 1000 event of the season, Swiatek now has a realistic chance to close the gap. Swiatek's quarter-final opponent is Ann Li, who beat Janice Tjen 6-1, 7-6 after her stunning win over top seed Sabalenka earlier in the week.

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Kartal routs Paolini, Ostapenko survives

The most emphatic result of the day came from Britain's Sonay Kartal, who demolished 15th seed Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-0 in 63 minutes, winning the last 11 games. Kartal, who missed six months with a back injury, has not dropped a set this week after wins over Anhelina Kalinina and Belinda Bencic. "From my side it was a pretty flawless performance so I'm very happy with that one," she told Sky Sports. It is her second WTA 1000 quarter-final.

Kartal now meets fifth seed Svitolina, who beat Chinese wildcard Guo Hanyu 6-1, 6-4. Maja Chwalińska continued her strong season by beating Jovic 6-4, 6-1 and will face Maria Sakkari, a 6-1, 6-4 winner over Mia Pohanková. Jelena Ostapenko, who had already knocked out Pegula, needed three sets to see off Leylah Fernandez 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 and will play Shnaider.

The quarter-finals are scheduled for Friday, October 16, with Swiatek against Li the match that matters most for the last ticket to Indian Wells.