Świątek continues and matches Serena... and Gauff exits

The winner of six Grand Slam titles and the 2023 Beijing tournament raised her tally in WTA 1000 events to 148 wins, placing her second on the list of female players with the most victories, tied with Serena Williams, while Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka leads with 156 wins.

In her first-ever meeting against the 18-year-old American—seeded 10th in the tournament and 13th globally—Świątek dominated the first set, winning the first five games before earning two set points in the sixth game, prior to Jovic successfully holding her serve to claim her first game of the match.

However, the Polish player held her serve in the following game and clinched the set on her fifth opportunity.

Świątek started the second set with an early break to lead 2-0, but Jovic began finding her rhythm, breaking back to level the score.

Jovic, who entered the match on the back of a six-match winning streak after capturing the Guadalajara title last month, managed to save two additional break points in the following game to take a 3-2 lead.

However, Świątek broke her opponent's serve twice in a row to secure the match after an hour and 36 minutes.

Świątek, who is seeking her second title of the season (her first was at the Toronto 1000 tournament in August when she defeated Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, currently ranked number one, in the final), will face Belgium's Elise Mertens, ranked 8th in the world, in the quarterfinals. Mertens eliminated third-seeded Gauff, the 2024 Beijing champion, with a 6-3, 6-3 victory, achieving her first win against her opponent in six encounters.

Mertens will reach the quarterfinals in the Chinese capital for the first time in seven appearances, after winning 10 of the last 11 points on her serve against Gauff on Wednesday, sealing the victory with her second ace of the match.

She revealed after the match that she had extra motivation, though it did not stem from a desire for revenge, explaining: "Tomorrow is the birthday of my coach and friend Christopher Heyman. Therefore, I dedicate this victory to him."

Gauff delivered a lackluster performance, reflected in her 34 unforced errors during the match, including eight double faults on her serve, four of which came during the final game of the first set when she lost her serve.

When trailing 1-4 in the second set, she told her team members sitting courtside that she had "no energy" and felt as though she was going to faint.

This victory marks the 10th of Mertens' career against a player ranked in the world's top five, and her second in 2026 following her upset win against Rybakina in the third round of Wimbledon.

It is also the third time in her career that she has achieved more than one win against top-five players in a single season.

Despite her negative head-to-head record against Świątek, who won their two previous meetings, Mertens will aim to reach her first WTA 1000 semifinal since the 2021 Dubai tournament.