BEIJING, China - For the second year in a row, the China Open has rejuvenated Caroline Wozniacki, the No.16 seed's title defence still going strong with a 6-3, 7-6(5) quarterfinal defeat of Daria Kasatkina in one hour and 41 minutes.

Last year, the Dane had come into Beijing having lost six of her previous nine matches - but found form to carry off her 30th career title without dropping a set. This year, Wozniacki had compiled just a 7-9 win-loss record since reaching the Charleston final in April - her only previous quarterfinal of the season, and the last time the former World No.1 had won three consecutive matches. Today, though, she was able to extend her winning streak here to 10 matches and 20 sets in a row, coming from a break down twice in both sets against an opponent who had defeated her three times in 2018 and striking 21 winners to 19 unforced errors.

"I've always had tough matches against her," noted Wozniacki afterwards. "She's a good player, very talented, mixes up the pace. I just tried to stay focused. I think we both played some great points, some great rallies. I was happy to finish it off in two sets, finish it off in the tiebreaker.

"I feel like I play very well here. It suits my game."

This week has Kasatkina deliver a much-needed turnaround of her own: the Russian's season has been even leaner than Wozniacki's, with only a 9-19 win-loss record prior to this week. Having won three straight matches for the first time since lifting the Moscow trophy at the end of last year, the World No.45 displayed some fine defence and variety off the ground, capturing the first break of the match with a stunning pass rocketed off a Wozniacki smash.

But it was Wozniacki who was able to ride the ebbs and flows of a patchy opening set to take the lead. Twice, Kasatkina moved up a break - but both times, the 2018 Australian Open champion took advantage of her opponent's rather ineffective serving to peg her back, eventually upping the ante to take the last four games of the set.

Kasatkina was unable to win a single point behind her second serve in the first set - but a first serve percentage of 86% was scant comfort, as the 22-year-old was only able to win 39% of those points anyway. Meanwhile, Wozniacki impressed with her quick thinking, particularly in reaching set point: caught mid-court, the World No.19 sensed that Kasatkina had anticipated the dropshot, and pushed the ball deeper to force the lob error. One point later, an emphatic smash had delivered her the set.

As though frustrated by the way in which a set that had seemed tight had suddenly got away from her, Kasatkina began the second set hitting with renewed aggression. Flashing brilliant forehand winners to all angles - including one spectacular defensive get - the former World No.10 rattled off 12 of the first 16 points of the set to move up 3-0.

Though a dogged Wozniacki pegged Kasatkina back to 3-3, the 2018 Indian Wells runner-up kept her focus and maintained her level, hammering an inside-in forehand return winner to regain the advantage for 5-3. However, double faults have afflicted Kasatkina this week - and although today's tally of six was an improvement on the 10 she committed during yesterday's third-round win over Ekaterina Alexandrova, two in a row would scupper her hopes of serving out the second set.

Wozniacki was still not quite home and dry - the 12th game of the match was arguably the finest, with the 29-year-old having to fend off some irresistible net play from Kasatkina and save a set point with a backhand winner after a magnificent rally. However, a slew of unforced errors to open the ensuing tiebreak from Kasatkina, taking her tally to 29 compared to 23 winners, helped Wozniacki quickly move 6-1 up. Though, with her back to the wall, Kasatkina came up with another handful of marvellous points to add some drama to the closing stages, Wozniacki made no mistake on her fifth match point to put away a backhand for the win.