Beijing – Karolina Muchova beat former world number one Naomi Osaka on her ninth match point to reach the quarterfinals of the China Open, triumphant in a tense tie-break yesterday.
Muchova, the seventh seed, overcame 50 unforced errors across the two-hour-and-52-minute match to beat Osaka 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (9/7).
She will play either fellow Czech player Nikola Bartunkova or Austria’s Sinja Kraus.
Earlier, Russia’s Mirra Andreeva beat Ukraine’s Daria Snigur 6-2, 6-2 to book her quarterfinal spot against fellow Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Alexandrova, ranked 28th, upset Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova 6-2, 6-2.
In the men’s draw, Novak Djokovic was due to play Alex de Minaur for the title.
Djokovic enters the final with six titles in Beijing.