China Open: Alexandrova upsets Linda Noskova; Andreeva moves into quarters

Beijing: Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova stunned Czechia’s Linda Noskova in the China Open round of 16, 6-2, 6-2, on Tuesday to set up a quarterfinal clash with Mirra Andreeva.

No. 19 seed Alexandrova registered her 22nd career win over a top 10 player as she defeated the No.5 seed and moved into the quarterfinals in Beijing for the first time.

At 31, she is the oldest first-time quarterfinalist in the China Open and third oldest player to reach the last eight in the tournament, only younger than Serena Williams and Shuai Zhang.

Alexandrova stunned Noskova in the pre-quarters and did not drop a serve of her own. She was pretty dominant in the clash against the reigning Wimbledon champion for a 6-2, 6-2 win.

This win propelled the Russian into her seventh WTA 1000 quarterfinal and the second of the season, after Toronto.

Before her, Russia’s Andreeva defeated Daria Snigur in the round of 16 by a similar 6-2, 6-2 margin to move into the quarters, where she will be facing her compatriot for a place in the semis.

Karolina Muchova beat former world number one Naomi Osaka on her ninth match point to reach the quarterfinals.

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). Agencies

Also Read: Smriti Mandhana to lead as BCCI announces squads for Zimbabwe series