Aryna Sabalenka’s impressive 15-match winning streak was abruptly halted in Beijing on Friday by a familiar adversary, Karolina Muchova. The Czech player staged a remarkable comeback, erasing a break deficit in the decider to secure a 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-4 victory over the No. 1 seed at the China Open.
Muchova’s resilience was evident from the outset, as she saved a pair of set points while serving at 4-5 in the opening set. Despite Sabalenka’s apparent control of the match, Muchova rallied to claim the final 10 points of the encounter.
Sabalenka’s defeat marks her first loss since August 10, when she was eliminated by Amanda Anisimova in the quarterfinals of Toronto. While the setback prevents the world No. 2 from overtaking Iga Swiatek in the race to the WTA Finals, Sabalenka will have another opportunity next week at the 1000-level event in Wuhan.
Meanwhile, Muchova has now extended her winning streak against Sabalenka to three matches, including a memorable victory in the 2023 French Open final. The 28-year-old is aiming to capture her first title in over five years, having last lifted a trophy in Seoul in September 2019.
In the semifinals, Muchova will face home favorite Zheng Qinwen, who overcame a challenging serving day to defeat Mirra Andreeva in three sets. Zheng’s victory marks her first WTA 1000 semifinal appearance.
Zheng’s path to the semifinals included a victory over Muchova in the Palermo title match in July, which preceded her gold medal triumph at the Paris Olympics. The Wuhan native will be eager to repeat her success against Muchova and advance to the final.
