Sabalenka won the Australian Open in January but missed out on the US Open to Gauff in September
World number one Aryna Sabalenka progressed to the quarter-final of the China Open with a straight-set victory over Italy’s Jasmine Paolini.
Belarusian Sabalenka, US Open runner-up last month, beat the world number 36 6-4 7-6 (7-4).
The Australian Open winner will face 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the last eight.
Meanwhile, US Open champion Coco Gauff saved four set points to beat Veronika Kudermetova 7-6 (7-5) 6-2.
The victory marks Gauff’s 15th consecutive win – the longest winning run of any player on the WTA Tour this year – surpassing Polish world number two Iga Swiatek’s run of 14 victories which came earlier this year.
“I’m really happy with how I’ve been able to troubleshoot and problem-solve,” Gauff said after the win. “I played a good match overall.”
The American 19-year-old’s last loss came in Montreal in August against compatriot Jessica Pegula, with her winning run including a maiden WTA 1000 title in Cincinnati and a first Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows.
Since her Wimbledon first-round loss to Sofia Kenin, Gauff has won 21 out of 22 matches.
The win over Kudermetova books her 11th quarter-final of the year, where she will meet Greek sixth seed Maria Sakkariwho beat China’s Wang Xinyu 6-4 2-6 6-3.
Gauff beat Sakkari in the final of the Cincinnati Masters and said she is “one of the most athletic players on the Tour” before their match on Friday.
France’s Caroline Garcia beat Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina 6-3 6-2 and will face four-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek in the quarter-final.