BEIJING (AP) — Karolina Muchova ended second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka’s 15-match winning streak with a 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-4 victory in the China Open quarterfinals on Friday.
The 49th-ranked Muchova saved set points in the first set and came from 4-2 down in the third to win in 2 hours, 46 minutes.
It was the third consecutive time that Muchova, a U.S. Open semifinalist last month, has won against the three-time major winner and the Czech player now leads their head-to-head series 3-1.
Sabalenka’s streak had started with a title at Cincinnati in August and continued with a run to the championship at the U.S. Open last month. She also won the Australian Open earlier in the year. She also had a previous career-best streak of 15 wins across the 2020-21 seasons.
Muchova will meet either Paris Olympics gold medalist Zheng Qinwen or Mirra Andreeva of Russia, who played later Friday, in the semifinals.
Shanghai Masters
Stefanos Tsitsipas and American duo Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul all eased through their second-round matches with straight-sets victories at the Shanghai Masters.
The 12th-ranked Tsitsipas, who lost in the first round at the Japan Open last week, had a stern test against Kei Nishikori but prevailed 7-6 (6), 6-4 in 105 minutes to avenge his defeat to the Japanese at the Montreal Masters in August.
Tsitsipas will play Alexandre Muller of France in the third round. Muller beat 18th-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-2, with the Canadian having now lost the opening match at four of his last five tour-level tournaments.
The 16th-ranked Shelton, who made the quarterfinals in Shanghai last year, hit 11 aces as he advanced past Denis Shapavalov of Canada 6-3, 7-5.
Compatriot Tommy Paul, seeded 11th, needed barely an hour to rout Fabio Fognini of Italy 6-1, 6-3. Paul will play 19th-seeded Alejandro Tabilo in the third round.
Another American, Alex Michelson, beat rising Chinese star Bu Yunchaokete 6-3, 6-4 in a first-round match which had been pushed back because of Bu’s semifinal run at the China Open.
Later Friday, fifth-ranked Daniil Medvedev opens his tournament against Thiago Seyboth Wild of Brazil.
The 32 seeded players received a first-round bye, including top-ranked Jannik Sinner and second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz, who met in the the China Open final on Wednesday. Sinner starts against Taro Daniel of Japan, and Alcaraz faces Shang Juncheng of China.
___
AP tennis:
