THE EVE EDITION
AFTERGLOW | TUE OCT 6
Wren Sinclair was suspended from NXT. She is also going to Halloween Havoc. Sinclair slipped into Tuesday’s 20-woman battle royal disguised as AAA’s Lady Shani, hid on the floor while Kali Armstrong cleared the ring, then threw Armstrong out last and pulled off the mask. Kelani Jordan now defends her title on October 31 against a challenger who was never supposed to be in the match.
In Beijing, the China Open spent the night clearing out its favorites. Wimbledon champion Linda Nosková fell to Ekaterina Alexandrova, Karolína Muchová needed nine match points to get past Naomi Osaka, and Coco Gauff, the #3 seed and a former Beijing champion, lost in straight sets to Elise Mertens. With Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka already gone, Iga Świątek is now the player everyone left has to get past.
And at home in Hamden, #5 Quinnipiac scored ten goals without allowing one.
Wren Sinclair Wins NXT Battle Royal in Disguise to Earn Title Shot at Halloween Havoc
Wren Sinclair entered Tuesday’s 20-woman NXT Women’s Championship #1 Contender’s Battle Royal disguised as AAA’s Lady Shani and eliminated Kali Armstrong last to earn a title match against Kelani Jordan on October 31. Only after the result was official did she remove the mask, revealing the woman General Manager Robert Stone had suspended from the brand.
The disguise held because Sinclair left the ring under the bottom rope when Reina Volcan attacked her, which kept her legal. She stayed out of sight while Armstrong eliminated La Catalina, Kiana James and Lizzy Rain, then slid back in and sent Armstrong over the top mid-celebration. Now NXT has to decide whether Stone honors a result Sinclair earned by defying him.
Muchová Outlasts Osaka on Ninth Match Point as Beijing Quarterfinals Take Shape
Ekaterina Alexandrova opened the round with the upset, beating Wimbledon champion Linda Nosková 6-2, 6-2 shortly after midnight Eastern. Karolína Muchová then needed nine match points and two hours, 52 minutes to beat Naomi Osaka 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (9-7), closing it out in a deciding tiebreak despite 50 unforced errors.
Muchová meets fellow Czech Nikola Bartůňková, who followed her upset of #2 Aryna Sabalenka by beating Sinja Kraus 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 to reach her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal. Alexandrova faces #4 Mirra Andreeva.
Mertens Ends Gauff’s Beijing Run as Świątek, Zheng and Svitolina Reach Quarterfinals
Elise Mertens beat #3 Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-3 in 78 minutes for her first win over Gauff in six meetings, facing only one break point while Gauff piled up 34 unforced errors and eight double faults. Mertens next plays Iga Świątek, who beat #10 Iva Jovic 6-1, 6-3 for her 148th WTA 1000 win, tying Serena Williams for seventh-most since the format began.
Zheng Qinwen kept the home crowd’s hopes alive by beating Alina Charaeva, the 118th-ranked player who knocked out Elena Rybakina, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4. She faces #6 Elina Svitolina, who beat #21 Ann Li 6-2, 6-3.
Quinnipiac Routs Post 10-0 as Eight Bobcats Score
#5 Quinnipiac outshot Post 64-8 and won 10-0 at M&T Bank Arena, the second-largest shutout in program history. Eight different players scored, led by two goals each from Avery Bairos and Aynsley D’Ottavio, and three power-play goals tied a program record. Freshman Regan Berglund scored her first college goal, and Natalia Dilbone made eight saves for her first career shutout as the Bobcats improved to 5-0.
LAST LIGHT
Beijing’s quarterfinals are set for Thursday and Friday: Świątek against Mertens, Zheng against Svitolina, Muchová against Bartůňková and Andreeva against Alexandrova. Only one of the tournament’s top four seeds is still standing.
Quinnipiac’s first real test comes October 16 when #7 Northeastern visits Hamden, and Halloween Havoc on October 31 now has the most unusual title match NXT has booked in a while.