Bartunkova Ousts Sabalenka at China Open

Nikola Bartunkova beat world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-3 in the China Open third round in one hour and 35 minutes. Sabalenka was broken in the opening game. In the sixth game of the first set she failed to convert five break points while Bartunkova saved all five she faced, then closed the set 6-4. Bartunkova broke early in the second set to lead 3-1 and broke again in the ninth game to serve for the match. Ranked 34 and seeded 26th, she moves into the round of 16 against Austria's Sinja Kraus. Top seed Elena Rybakina, world No. 1, was eliminated the day before by Armenian world No. 118 Alina Charaeva, the first time since 2015 the top two seeds failed to reach the China Open round of 16. Sabalenka has lost six consecutive matches after dropping the first set and has not won a title since the Sunshine Double at Indian Wells and Miami in March 2026. She lost the US Open final last month to Rybakina, who took the No. 1 ranking. Bartunkova said: "I focused on myself, to be calm. Aryna is great. She's a legend. She's a Grand Slam champion." She added she was really happy she won because Sabalenka is a legend. CONTESTED: No contested claims found in record