BEIJING: World No.1 Elena Rybakina could not regroup and fell to 118th-ranked Alina Charaeva in the second round of the China Open on Saturday in Beijing.
The 27-year-old from Kazakhstan was playing her first match since seizing the top ranking on her US Open win in New York, but Armenia’s Charaeva triumphed 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a clinical comeback.
“I don’t have words,” said Charaeva, who is making her Beijing debut. “This is incredible,” the 24-year-old said.
“She’s (an) amazing player, and for me it’s kind of just dream come true,” she said of Rybakina.
“I will be really happy to stay some more days in Beijing,” she added. “Never stop believing, I guess.”
Rybakina got off to a solid start, but seven double-faults ushered the momentum into the hands of her opponent.
Wind rattled the closed-roof stadium, with both players serving as thunderous claps echoed over the court.
A supportive crowd tried to rally Rybakina back into contention, but Charaeva held serve to win the match in two hours and 11 minutes.
Charaeva faces Briton Sonay Kartal in the third round.
ZVEREV CRUSHES SHANG
In the men’s draw on Saturday, big-serving Alexander Zverev trounced home hopeful Shang Juncheng 6-0, 6-3 to set up a quarter-final clash with Novak Djokovic.
The German top seed needed just 55 minutes to brush aside the Chinese wildcard, ranked 250th, firing nine aces along the way.
“Happy with the win,” the world’s second-ranked player said, adding that his 21-year-old opponent had been “dangerous” and had “nothing to lose”.
“Looking forward to the next couple of weeks,” he said ahead of his tie with Djokovic — who has never lost a match in Beijing — on Sunday.
Zverev’s cruise into the next round comes as he trains his sights on the number-one spot currently held by Jannik Sinner.
The Italian won in Beijing last year but is not there this time around, and said on Saturday that he would not play at next week’s Shanghai Masters either.
He did not give a reason for his latest withdrawal, but has not played since his Wimbledon title in July due to a right knee injury.
Also in the men’s draw, third seed Daniil Medvedev eased into the quarter-finals with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.
Alex de Minaur, seeded fifth, and Andrey Rublev both needed three sets to advance and will play each other in the last eight.
‘STOP SHOUTING’
Earlier, Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen rebuked rowdy fans at her home tournament before opponent Anna Kalinskaya retired with injury to give the Chinese player a 6-7(4/7), 6-4, 3-0 victory.
During a tight first-set tie-break, Zheng — a beloved figure in her home country — twice was heard telling spectators to “stop shouting” as she stepped up to serve.
Chants for Zheng rang through the wind-rattled stadium before most points, with fans occasionally yelling at each other to quieten down.
The umpire also stepped in to warn people to stop moving around in the stands during play.
After levelling in the second set, the world number 54 was handed a lifeline when Russia’s Kalinskaya retired three games down in the third due to injury.
Coco Gauff kept her composure to beat Camila Osorio 7-6(7/4), 4-6, 6-2, overcoming shaky serving to survive the second round.
The Colombian, ranked 66th, put up a formidable fight after double-faulting to lose a testy first-set tie-break, though she needed medicine to push through trouble with her back.
Osorio saved two match points but Gauff, the world number four, dug deep, rescuing long rallies with a solid backhand and cross-court saves.
She next faces Chinese teenager Sun Xinran, world number 582, who beat Spain’s Cristina Bucsa 6-4, 7-5.
Sixth-seeded Elina Svitolina and former champion Iga Swiatek, seeded eighth, also went through on Saturday.
Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2026
