Nikola Bartunkova swept past fellow Czech Karolina Muchova 6-3, 6-0 in 67 minutes on Thursday to reach the China Open semifinals, her first at WTA 1000 level.
The 20-year-old, seeded No. 26 in Beijing, controlled the all-Czech contest from the outset against seventh seed Muchova. The pair train at the same Prague club, but Bartunkova claimed the opening five games of the match and closed by taking the final seven.
Quick facts
- Result: No. 26 Nikola Bartunkova beat No. 7 Karolina Muchova 6-3, 6-0.
- Match time: 67 minutes.
- Event: China Open, a WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing.
- Milestone: Bartunkova reaches her first WTA 1000 semifinal.
- Next opponent: No. 4 Mirra Andreeva or No. 19 Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Bartunkova’s victory was her third career win over a Top 10 opponent. Earlier in her rise, she defeated Belinda Bencic at the Australian Open and knocked out Aryna Sabalenka in the third round in Beijing.
This is the third tour-level semifinal of Bartunkova’s career, after Guadalajara in 2025 and Monterrey in 2026. It is, however, her first run to the last four at the WTA 1000 tier.
The Beijing result will also carry her into the Top 30 for the first time. Bartunkova finished the 2025 season ranked No. 130 and has risen to No. 34 this week before the points from the China Open are added.
Her place in the final will be on the line against either fourth-seeded Mirra Andreeva or 19th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
