Sabalenka knocked out of China Open in straight sets by Nikola Bartunkova
- On Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, 34th-ranked Nikola Bartunkova upset second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka in the China Open third round in Beijing, winning 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 35 minutes.
- This defeat leaves the China Open without its top two seeds after Elena Rybakina was ousted by Alina Charaeva on Saturday. Sabalenka, a 28-year-old four-time Grand Slam champion, squandered five break points in the first set.
- Bartunkova relied on strong defense and four aces to secure victory. "I focused on myself, to be calm," the 20-year-old said of the former world number one.
- Advancing to the round of 16, Bartunkova will face 24-year-old Sinja Kraus of Austria, who earlier defeated Dayana Yastremska 6-1, 6-4.
- In Beijing's men's tournament, top seed Alexander Zverev faces Novak Djokovic in a quarterfinal later Sunday, with the U.S. Open champion seeking the top ranking against the 39-year-old Serbian great.
32 Articles
32 Articles
Beijing, 4 Oct (EFE).- Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka (number 2 of the WTA ranking), second favorite, lost this Sunday to Czech Nikola Bartunkova (number 34) by 6-4 and 6-3 in the third round of the Chinese Open, which ran out of its two main serial heads in just over twelve hours. [...] The entry Sabalenka falls and Beijing loses its first two favorites in just over twelve hours was first published in HolaNews.
Aryna Sabalenka suffers shock China Open exit, falls to Nikola Bartunkova in straight sets
In an unexpected twist at the China Open, World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka suffered a straight-set defeat to Nikola Bartunkova, who is ranked 34th. Bartunkova seized the match with scores of 6-4 and 6-3, exploiting Sabalenka's inability to convert break-point chances. The early exits of both Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina indicate a major shift in the tournament landscape. Bartunkova is set to take on Sinja Kraus in her next match.
The Toronto Star
Sabalenka knocked out of China Open in straight sets by Nikola Bartunkova
BEIJING (AP) — Second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka was bundled out in the third round of the China Open in straight sets by the Czech Republic's Nikola Bartunkova on Sunday.
Sabalenka swept out of China Open in third round
Czech player Bartunkova, 20, sent down four aces to beat the former world number one 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 35 minutes. "I focused on myself, to be calm," Bartunkova said. "She's a legend... so I'm really happy that I won the match," she said of the four-time Grand Slam champion. Bartunkova next faces Austria's Sinja Kraus in the round of 16. Second-seeded Sabalenka squandered five chances to break serve in the sixth game of the first set, wit…
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