Karolina Muchova survived a nine-match-point epic against Naomi Osaka to reach the China Open quarterfinals in Beijing, overturning deficits in the first and final sets before closing a 7-5, 1-6, 7-6(7) victory after 2 hours and 52 minutes.
- Osaka, the 12th seed, established a 4-1 advantage in the opening set, but seventh-seeded Muchova recovered to take it 7-5.
- Osaka responded emphatically in the second set, conceding only one game to level the fourth-round contest.
- Muchova fell behind 3-1 in the deciding set, then reached 5-4 with three chances to serve out the match on Osaka’s delivery. Osaka erased all three, and Muchova was unable to convert two further opportunities in that game.
- The Czech had three more match points in the deciding-set tiebreak before finally ending the contest with a delicate backhand volley winner on her ninth opportunity.
“I honestly didn’t think I would finish the match,” Muchova said after the win. “There were so many match points that I did not know the number. After each one, I told myself to go for it, but Naomi kept playing very well and steadily. She did not make mistakes, unlike me. I was shaking. I’m happy I made that final volley. It was so close — Naomi could have been standing here. I’m very grateful it is me.”
Muchova extends winning record against Osaka
The match was the eighth chapter of a rivalry that has run for six years. Muchova had already beaten Osaka twice on grass this season and improved her overall head-to-head record to 5-3. Their outdoor hard-court series is now even at two wins each.
The 2024 Beijing runner-up is through to her fourth WTA 1000-level-or-higher quarterfinal of 2026. Her previous deep runs this year included the Doha title, a Wimbledon final and a Miami semifinal.
Muchova is pursuing her third title of the season and will next meet either 26th-seeded Czech Nikola Bartunkova or Austria’s Sinja Kraus for a place in the China Open semifinals.
