Qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich pulled off one of the China Open’s biggest upsets so far, coming from a set and a break down to defeat No. 12 seed and 2019 champion Naomi Osaka 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 in 1 hour and 56 minutes.
Beijing: Scores | Draws | Order of play
The numbers all pointed towards Osaka coming into the match. She had not lost a completed match in Beijing since 2018 — last year, she was forced to retire in the fourth round at a set all against Coco Gauff. She has been resurgent in recent months, rocketing back into the Top 20 after reaching the Montreal final and US Open semifinals.
Osaka has enjoyed success against Sasnovich in the past, having won all four of their previous meetings — including a 6-0, 6-0 whitewash en route to her first major crown at the 2018 US Open. And while Sasnovich, 31, is a five-time WTA finalist who reached a career high of No. 29 in 2022, she has posted just five tour-level wins this year and her ranking has tumbled to No. 130.
Sasnovich’s victory over Osaka is her 24th career Top 20 win, but her first in 16 months — since defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova at Rome 2024.
More to come…
AloJapan.com