Nikola Bartunkova, a 20-year-old from the Czech Republic, needed just one hour and 35 minutes to beat former world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-3 in the third round of the China Open, producing a historic upset. The world number 34 served four aces and gave the Belarusian no way back. In the previous round, reigning world number one Elena Rybakina had also crashed out, beaten by Alina Charaeva, leaving the prestigious Beijing tournament without its two top seeds. "I focused on myself, to be calm... She's a legend … so I'm really happy that I won the match," Bartunkova said after her win.
Sabalenka wasted five break points in the first set and, with her frustration mounting, even threw her racket in the second. The Czech now faces Austria's Sinja Kraus in the round of 16.
