World · Malaysia Bureau
Rybakina stunned by world No. 118 Charaeva at China Open
World No. 1 Elena Rybakina crashed out of the China Open in the second round after Armenian player Alina Charaeva mounted a remarkable comeback to secure a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory.
LSN Malaysia ·
Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina's bid for a strong showing at the China Open ended in disappointment on Tuesday as she fell to an unexpected upset by world No. 118 Alina Charaeva. The Armenian player demonstrated impressive composure and resilience to overturn an initial set deficit and claim a comprehensive three-set victory.
Charaeva's comeback proved clinical in execution, as she lost the opening set 3-6 before rallying to dominate the second and third frames. The world No. 118 broke serve decisively in the latter stages to secure the 6-4, 6-3 scoreline, eliminating the tournament's top seed in an early-round upset.
The result marks a significant achievement for Charaeva, whose win over the world's premier-ranked player represents one of the standout performances at the tournament so far. Rybakina, who had been among the favourites for the title, will now focus on recovering from the unexpected exit in preparation for upcoming competitions.