US Open finalist Jessica Pegula has exited the China Open after a last-16 defeat to Spain’s Paula Badosa.
The American number three in the world, seeded second in Beijing, lost 6-4 6-0 in just over an hour.
An early break left Badosa 3-1 down in the opening set, but the Spaniard won 11 of the next 12 matches – including eight in a row – to secure her first victory over a top-five player since 2022.
“She is one of the players I never want to face,” said world number 19 Badosa.
“She is very solid, hits very flat and changes direction very well, so I knew it would be tough.
“Yesterday I prepared myself for a fight, but I think everything worked pretty well today.”
She will meet Zhang Shuai in the quarter-finals after the world number 595 continued her remarkable run at the tournament with a 6-4 6-2 victory over Poland’s Magdalena Frech.
Zhang entered her home event after 24 consecutive defeats in more than 600 days, the second-longest streak on the WTA Tour in the open era, which began in 1968 when professionals were finally allowed to play in Grand Slam tournaments.
The two-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist, whose career has been plagued by injuries, is also the lowest-ranked player to ever play in the main draw of the China Open, a WTA 1000 event.
But the 35-year-old has now won four matches in Beijing without dropping a set, including a second-round victory over US Open semi-finalist Emma Navarro.
