Konta, who will be become the new British number one on Monday, was 5-1 down in the final set against the Romanian but stormed back to win 6-3 3-6 7-5.
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“The Olympics that will be awesome to be able to play there, represent the USA again”, she said.
Next up for Halep is a first career meeting with Britain’s Konta, the Sydney-born world No. 66 who reached the US Open last 16 as a qualifier.
Muguruza is in the running to make it to the top-eight Women’s Tennis Association Finals in Singapore at the end of this month, with the field looking increasingly open after the Wuhan upsets. “First set, I lost”.
“I’m glad nobody told me before – I would have been a little bit nervous. It wasn’t easy to get the winners, but I minimised my mistakes”, said the 107-ranked Albot.
Kvitova fell to this year’s shock finalist at the US Open, Roberta Vinci of Italy, in two sets.
The 15th-seeded Italian saved five of seven break points.
The Czech was diagnosed with glandular fever this year but has continued to compete, and looked exhausted as she walked off court.
Venus, 35 and winning despite having to fight a chronic disease, said she had no idea she had that number of victories until after her 6-4, 6-3 Wuhan win. How many places will depend on whether she can advance beyond her quarter-final, where she will take on No8 seed Karolina Pliskova, who took almost two hours to beat Elena Svitolina. “I had never played her before, so that was also an experience in itself”, she added.
Venus Williams won straight sets 6-1, 7-6 over tenth seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the first round of the Wuhan Open on Monday.
“I’m very, very happy and very, very exhausted right now”, said Slovak Schmiedlova.
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Williams will play seventh-seeded Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro for a quarterfinal spot.
