By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, October 15, 2026
Photo credit: Screen Shot
Sequels seldom surpass the impact of originals unless Ann Li is powering the plot line.
A day after the biggest win of her career, Li hit new heights in Wuhan.
Li saved three set points stopping Janice Tjen 6-1, 7-6(1) to score her 100th career victory and advance to her maiden WTA 1000 quarterfinal at the Wuhan Open.
An assertive Li hit 11 aces, including saving the third set point with an ace, and more than tripled Tjen’s winner total (36 to 10) in an important 99-minute triumph.
“I knew it was gonna be super tough,” Li said in her on-court interview. “We’ve never played before. She definitely raised her level in the second and I had to do the same.
“I started super well and that helped me. I’m happy with the win.”
The victory comes 24 hours after Li converted her 10th match point, shocking top-seeded world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) last night for the biggest win of her career by ranking.
Showing no signs of competitive hangover, Li beat Tjen to the ball bursting out to a 5-0 first-set lead then later charging to a 5-0 lead in the second-set tie break.
“For me, I know in the tie break there’s no room to relax at all,” Li said. “I just tried to focus on every point, every ball.
“I think I did pretty well. I just tried to stay in the moment and enjoy the time on court here.”
It’s a massive moment for Li, who cracks the Top 25 for the first time, rising to a new career-high ranking of No. 24 in the WTA Live rankings.
Next up for Li is a quarterfinal showdown vs. former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek.
Hunting for a 13th WTA 1000 championship, Swiatek swept American lucky loser Ashlyn Krueger 6-1, 6-4.
Six months ago, Li led Iga Swiatek 7-6(4), 2-6, 3-0 when the fourth-seeded Pole retired from their Mutua Madrid Open match after two hours, 10 minutes due to a stomach issue. That was their lone prior meeting and Li’s second Top 10 win.
In their quarterfinal rematch, which woman will be able to consistently impose her forehand on pivotal points?
Today, Li smacked 24 forehand errors facing Tjen’s heavy topspin forehand. Li sometimes played into Tjen’s forehand to then force her opponent to hit her backhand won the run.
Working over Tjen’s weaker backhand error, Li drew the floated error rallying from Love-30 down to hold for 4-All in the second set.
Sliding into a running forehand, Li lashed her 20th forehand winner crosscourt to get to Love-30 on Tjen’s serve. Tjen pierced the pressure rallying to hold for 5-4.
When Li slapped a forehand into the middle of the net, Tjen had double set point in the 10th game. Li dodged the first on her opponent’s netted backhand.
On the second set point, Tjen ran around a backhand return and rifled her favored forehand right into the top of the tape where it plopped back on her side of the court.
Seizing that reprieve, Li thumped a couple of aces navigating a tricky deuce hold for 5-All.
Li jerked a backhand wide on break point in the 11th game, but Tjen sent a shot long to face a second break point.
Facing a third set point at 5-6, Li lashed her ninth ace out wide to erase it. By then, Li had saved all six break points she faced. Li pumped another ace helping her hold to force the tie break.
Throughout the match, Li picked the right time to hit behind Tjen, whose game is predicated on running around the backhand and firing forehands from her backhand corner.
Drilling a diagonal forehand strike, Li earned the mini-break to open. Slamming her 11th ace down the T, Li edged ahead 3-0. Li had won eight of the last nine points, stretching to 5-1.
On her first match point, Li lasered a forehand winner down the line to post her 28th win of the season and charge into the Wuhan quarterfinals in 99 minutes.
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