Alina Charaeva turned Elena Rybakina’s first match as world #1 into the defining upset of the China Open’s second round, rallying for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory on Saturday in Beijing. The 24-year-old Armenian, ranked #118 and playing only her 17th tour-level main-draw match, needed 2 hours, 11 minutes to complete the biggest win of her career in her Beijing debut.
Rybakina recovered from an opening-game break to take the first set, then moved ahead early in the second. Charaeva answered immediately, kept the set level and forced a decider with a backhand passing shot. The match turned for good when Rybakina missed a backhand wide to fall behind 4-2 in the third. Charaeva consolidated with a love hold and served out the victory. Rybakina, troubled by swirling air inside the closed-roof stadium, finished with seven double faults.
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