China Open 2024: 595th-ranked Zhang Shuai extends historic run

Zhang Shuai extended her fairytale China Open on Sunday as the home player ranked 595th in the world powered into the last 16 in straight sets to make more history.

The 35-year-old wildcard had not won a singles match in more than 600 days when she arrived at the prestigious WTA 1000 event in Beijing last week.

Her run of 24 straight defeats was the longest such barren spell on tour since Madeleine Pegel lost her first 29 matches in 1968-1972.

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Zhang, a two-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist who has been plagued by injuries, has now won three matches in a row after a 6-2, 6-3 defeat of Belgium’s Greet Minnen.

Zhang, who faced Minnen as the lowest-ranked player to reach the China Open third round in the tournament’s history, faces Poland’s Magdalena Frech next.

The former top-25 player Zhang, who has won two Grand Slam doubles titles, snapped her losing run when she beat 65th-ranked American McCartney Kessler in straight sets.

On Friday she then stunned US Open semifinalist Emma Navarro 6-4, 6-2 to reach round three and a meeting with 94th-ranked Minnen.

Zhang was on course for a third win in a row when she took the first set and the home player went up a break in the second set, only to swiftly relinquish the advantage when the 27-year-old Minnen broke back.

As the match ticked past the hour mark, Zhang emerged from a gripping seventh game to break once more for 4-3, then held for 5-3 to put the next round within reach.