Karolína Muchová Beats Naomi Osaka on Ninth Match Point to Reach China Open Quarter-Finals
Karolína Muchová beat Naomi Osaka 7–5, 1–6, 7–6(7) in the fourth round of the China Open in Beijing on Tuesday 6 October, converting her ninth match point to reach the quarter-finals. The seventh seed needed two hours and 52 minutes to get past the 12th-seeded Osaka, finishing with a backhand volley winner, according to the WTA. The Muchová Osaka thriller sets up a quarter-final against fellow Czech Nikola Bartůňková.
It was the eighth meeting between the two players. Muchová now leads their head-to-head 5–3.
How the Muchová Osaka Match Unfolded
Muchová had to come from behind in two sets. She trailed 4–1 in the opener before winning six of the next seven games to take it 7–5, the WTA reported.
Osaka then hit back strongly. The four-time Grand Slam champion dropped only one game in the second set to force a decider.
In the third set, Muchová again fell a break behind at 3–1. However, she recovered and earned triple match point at 5–4, only for Osaka to save all three.
Nine Match Points Settle the Muchová Osaka Thriller
Muchová missed eight match points in total, including the three in a row at 5–4, before finally converting her ninth in the deciding tie-break, according to the WTA.
“I was shaking,” Muchová said afterwards. She admitted she had lost count of how many chances she had, adding that the match “was really so close”, as quoted by the WTA.
The win marked Muchová’s fourth quarter-final at WTA 1000 level or above this season. Her 2026 run also includes the Doha title, a Wimbledon final and a Miami semi-final.
China Open Quarter-Final Line-Up Takes Shape
Bartůňková reached her first WTA 1000 quarter-final by beating Sinja Kraus 6–0, 4–6, 6–3, The Sports Encounter reported. The 26th seed is into the last eight at this level for the first time.
Meanwhile, Roland Garros champion Mirra Andreeva beat Daria Snigur 6–2, 6–2 in just over an hour. She will face Ekaterina Alexandrova, who beat Wimbledon champion Linda Nosková by the same score.
The draw has opened up after early exits for Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, the report added. Rybakina won the US Open last month, as we covered in our report on her title and rise to world No. 1.
Gauff Row in Beijing
Off the court, attention has also focused on the reaction to Coco Gauff’s win over 16-year-old Sun Xinran. Gauff said she received a wave of racist abuse after a replayed point in that match.
Read our full report on Coco Gauff’s response to the abuse. For more on how players earn their rankings, see our explainer on WTA rankings.
China Open 2026 Key Dates
The WTA 1000 event in Beijing runs until Sunday 11 October, when the women’s singles final will be played. Muchová versus Bartůňková and Andreeva versus Alexandrova are the first two quarter-finals confirmed, Just Women’s Sports reported.
