Second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka crashed out of the China Open in a major third-round upset on Sunday, losing 6-4, 6-3 to Czech Republic’s Nikola Bartunkova, while Novak Djokovic fought back from a set down to beat Alexander Zverev and extend his extraordinary unbeaten record in Beijing to 32 matches.
The 20-year-old Bartunkova, ranked No. 34 in the world, needed an hour and 35 minutes to defeat the four-time Grand Slam champion, leaving the WTA 1000 event without its top two seeds before the round of 16. Newly crowned world No. 1 Elena Rybakina had been knocked out a day earlier by Alina Charaeva, who recovered from a set down to beat the top seed 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Bartunkova pulls off upset
Sabalenka had opportunities to take control of the opening set but was unable to convert five break points in the sixth game as Bartunkova repeatedly escaped pressure with strong defence and deep groundstrokes. The Czech maintained her composure against one of the tour’s most powerful players and closed out the first set 6-4 before taking command of the second.
Sabalenka’s frustration became increasingly evident after she fell a break behind in the second set, but Bartunkova refused to relinquish control. The Czech eventually sealed victory on her first match point when Sabalenka sent a return into the net, completing one of the biggest wins of her career.
“I focused on myself, to be calm,” Bartunkova said after the victory. Describing Sabalenka as a “legend” and a Grand Slam champion, she said she was delighted with the result but added that she was “not a girl who celebrates too much”.
Beijing struggles continue
The defeat continued Sabalenka’s difficult history at the China Open, where she has never progressed beyond the quarterfinals. The 28-year-old Belarusian had arrived in Beijing after being denied a third consecutive US Open crown by Rybakina last month.
Bartunkova will next face Austria’s Sinja Kraus in the round of 16. The 24-year-old Kraus advanced with a convincing 6-1, 6-4 victory over Dayana Yastremska.
The result also meant that neither of the women’s tournament’s top two seeds reached the last 16, after Rybakina’s earlier exit. The Kazakh had only recently displaced Sabalenka at the top of the world rankings.
Andreeva cruises through
Mirra Andreeva encountered considerably less trouble in her third-round match, easing past Polina Kudermetova 6-4, 6-1 in 68 minutes. The French Open champion struck six aces and converted five of her seven break-point opportunities in a commanding performance.
Andreeva was tested during the opening stages but steadily took control before dominating the second set. Her victory kept her campaign alive after the early departures of the tournament’s two highest-ranked players.
Djokovic fights back
In the men’s ATP 500 event, Djokovic overcame a slow start to defeat top seed and US Open champion Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in two hours and 35 minutes. The 39-year-old Serb dropped serve in the opening game and could not recover the break in the first set, despite creating opportunities when Zverev served for it at 5-4.
Djokovic gradually found his rhythm and turned the match late in the second set. He broke Zverev at 5-4 to level the contest and repeated the feat at the same stage of the deciding set to complete the comeback and secure his place in the semifinals.
“I gave him an early break and then it was hard to come back in the first set,” Djokovic said. He added that by midway through the opening set he could feel himself beginning to establish a better rhythm.
Djokovic sets new mark
The victory extended Djokovic’s perfect China Open record to 32-0 as he continued his bid for a seventh title in Beijing. His unbeaten start at the tournament also surpassed Rafael Nadal’s 31-0 start at the French Open, setting a new Open-era mark for the best start by a player at a single tour-level tournament.
Djokovic had entered Sunday’s match with a 31-0 China Open record after returning to the Beijing tournament for the first time since 2015. Zverev tested that streak severely, firing 19 aces, but Djokovic’s ability to find the decisive breaks late in the final two sets proved the difference.
The Serbian will next face Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals. Medvedev booked his place in the last four with a 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory over Francisco Cerundolo.
Hurkacz sets up De Minaur clash
Hubert Hurkacz also advanced to the semifinals after beating Karen Khachanov 7-6 (2), 6-2. After a tight opening set, Hurkacz dominated the tiebreak before carrying that momentum into the second set.
He will face Alex de Minaur, who recovered strongly after being overwhelmed in the opening set by Andrey Rublev. De Minaur completed a 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 comeback to secure the other semifinal berth.
Djokovic’s victory leaves him two wins away from a seventh Beijing crown, while the women’s tournament has been thrown open by the successive departures of Rybakina and Sabalenka. Bartunkova, meanwhile, moves into the last 16 having produced the biggest upset of the tournament so far.