Home favourite Zhang stuns Navarro in huge China Open upset
Emma Navarro was dumped out of the China Open by the player ranked 587 places below her in the WTA rankings on Friday.
World number 595 Zhang Shuai stunned US Open semi-finalist Emma Navarro at the China Open on Friday, just two days after ending a 603-day winless streak.
Zhang ended a 24-match losing run – which began after the Lyon Open in 2023 – by beating American McCartney Kessler 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-1) in her Beijing opener on Wednesday.
That long-awaited victory teed up a clash with world number eight Navarro, who Zhang beat 6-4 6-2 in a major upset in front of a jubilant crowd in the Chinese capital.
Zhang, who is the lowest-ranked player to ever compete in the main draw at the WTA 1000 event, got to the net on her second match point to smash a forehand winner past Navarro, teeing up a meeting with Belgium's Greet Minnen for Sunday.
Data Debrief: Beijing witnesses historic upset
Ranked a lowly 595th in the world, Zhang has become the lowest-ranked player to defeat a top-10 player at the China Open since the tournament's 2004 inception.
She had also won her most recent meeting with a top-10 player, beating Caroline Garcia in Tokyo back in 2022.