WUHAN - World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka made a winning return to the Wuhan Open on Wednesday, rallying past Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to reach the round of 16, while Chinese veteran Zhang Shuai advanced with a gritty three-set victory over Romania's Sorana Cirstea.

Sabalenka, a three-time Wuhan Open champion, remains undefeated in the central Chinese city since her debut in 2018. As she overturned her opponent 2-1 on Wednesday, she extended her winning streak to 18 matches, the longest record in the tournament's history.

"I am super happy with the win. She played incredible tennis in the first set. Not much I could do in that set, but I'm really happy that I found my rhythm, and I was able to get the win," said the Belarusian tennis ace.

"I am aiming for more titles here, and I'm going to do everything I can to hold this trophy this year, but I think my main focus is on myself, on bringing my best tennis and trying my best. Hopefully, I can hold this trophy again by the end of the week," she added.

Chinese veteran Zhang progressed to the third round after defeating Cirstea 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. "Cirstea is a real fighter. She never gives up easily, and neither do I," Zhang said after match, calling the contest "a battle of willpower".

With back-to-back three-set wins in two days, Zhang said that she felt like a "36-year-old youngster." She said experience and confidence have helped her maintain her level deep into her career.

"Maybe 10 years ago, or even eight years ago, I didn't have the ability I have now," she said. "No one can finish a full season and still have this kind of determination in such hot weather. But I believe in myself. All the training and all the work I've done help me achieve what I want."

Looking ahead to her next match against No. 3 seed Coco Gauff of the United States, Zhang struck a calm tone. "Tomorrow's Zhang Shuai will deal with tomorrow's challenges," she said. "We know each other well from practice. It doesn't matter who the opponent is. The key is to focus on myself. This is the best Zhang Shuai ever, but the better one is still on the way."

Meanwhile, China's Yuan Yue fell to No.7 seed Jasmine Paolini of Italy. Yuan took the first set 6-3 before the latter fought back to win 6-4, 6-3.