Aryna Sabalenka secured her third straight Wuhan Open title with a hard fought victory over Zheng Qinwen in Sunday’s final.

WUHAN, China, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Top seed Aryna Sabalenka shook off a second-set blip to win three back-to-back Wuhan Open titles after beating Chinese fifth seed and home favourite Zheng Qinwen 6-3 5-7 6-3 in the final on Sunday.

Aryna Sabalenka on Sunday became the first player to win the Wuhan Open three times by defeating local hero Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in the final.

Just when Zheng, who was eyeing to become just the second Chinese player to claim a WTA-1000 title following her idol Li Na's triumph at 2012 Cincinnati, looked to cause an upset, Sabalenka raced up to a 3-0 double break lead in the decider.

Aryna Sabalenka secured her third successive Wuhan Open title, defeating Zheng Qinwen. Sabalenka's remarkable performance was highlighted by seven aces and 32 winners in the final. This victory marks her fourth title of the year and her 17th WTA singles title overall.

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.

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka improved to 16-0 at the Dongfeng Voyah · Wuhan Open, roaring back from a set and a break deficit to beat Coco Gauff in the semifinals on Saturday.

Aryna Sabalenka won her third consecutive Wuhan Open title, defeating Zheng Qinwen in the final. The Belarusian top seed surpassed Elena Rybakina for the most aces in WTA-1000 this season. Sabalenka's victory adds her 17th career singles title as she aims to reclaim the top ranking.

Aryna Sabalenka credits her recent victory at the Wuhan Open to a key lesson learned from her US Open defeat to Coco Gauff. Sabalenka, who fell to Gauff amidst intense crowd pressure at Flushing Meadows,