Muchova defeats Sabalenka at China Open

World No. 49 Karolina Muchova delivered a stunning upset at the China Open on Friday, defeating top seed Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling three-set match to secure her spot in the semi-finals.

The Czech player triumphed 7-6 (7/5), 2-6, 6-4, setting up a clash with either China’s Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen or 17-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva for a place in the final.

Muchova’s victory ended Sabalenka’s 15-match winning streak, which included titles in Cincinnati and her first US Open crown.

Sabalenka, the world No. 2, had faced difficulties with Muchova in the past, losing their last two meetings, both of which went to deciding sets.

This encounter proved equally intense, with both players showing resilience under pressure.

In the other semi-final, last year’s US Open champion Coco Gauff faced off against Spain’s former world No. 2 Paula Badosa in Beijing.

The hard-hitting Sabalenka had set point on Muchova’s serve at 5-4 but surrendered the opportunity when she rattled her forehand wide on the Czech’s second serve.

Muchova double-faulted to give Sabalenka another chance to wrap up the set but again she failed to take it.

The Czech had two set points in the tiebreak and grabbed the second at the end of a thrilling rally to go a set up.

It was the first set 26-year-old Sabalenka had dropped since the third round in New York.

Sabalenka started the second set brightly to break for 2-1 and broke once more on the way to sealing the set with comparative ease.

Neither could hold serve in the deciding set before Muchova, who at one point had appeared to be wilting in the face of her opponent’s superior power, clinching the match in two hours, 46 minutes.

This time last year 28-year-old Muchova was ranked ninth in the world having reached the French Open final and semi-finals at Flushing Meadows.

But her 2023 season ended after the US Open because of wrist surgery and she did not play for nearly 10 months until returning this summer.