ARYNA SABALENKA maintained her unbeaten record at the Wuhan Open with her third title to close in on Iga Swiatek at the top of the rankings.

Sabalenka lifted the trophy on both her previous visits in 2018 and 2019 and was unbeatable again following the tournament’s return to the schedule this year.

The Belarusian defeated home favourite Zheng Qinwen 6-3 5-7 6-3 and is now only 69 points behind Swiatek in the rankings, setting up an enticing battle at the WTA Finals next month.