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.
