Alina Charaeva made Elina Rybakina’s first match as World No. 1 one to forget, rallying from a set down to score a stunning 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory at the China Open.
The Beijing Debutante, aged 24 and playing her first career match against a Top 20 player, becomes the first player from Armenia to defeat a World No.1. She’s also the lowest-ranked player in history to have defeated a reigning World No.1 from a set down.
Rybakina, who became No.1 after winning the US Open last month, is the second WTA No.1 to lose her first match at the top of the WTA rankings, the other being Naomi Osaka in 2019.
Charaeva, ranked No.118, weathered Rybakina’s early assault and turned the match around with a remarkably clean performance. The 24-year-old struck just 16 winners but committed only 17 unforced errors, compared with 30 winners and 48 unforced errors from Rybakina.
Charaeva was particularly effective behind her first serve, winning 76 percent of those points, and converted five of eight break points in the two-hour, 11-minute battle.
She struck late to win the second set, scoring a break in the tenth game with a backhand winner off a Rybakina drop shot. This breakthrough came after an early trade of breaks in games three and four of the set.
Charaeva broke for 4-2 in the final set, a Rybakina backhand down the line attempt falling wide, and the Armenian never looked back, winning eight of her final two service points to seal the win.
“I don’t have words to say. I’m out of words,” Charaeva said on court after the win. “This is incredible. Thank you guys for your support.”
The Armenian said she tried to remain mentally strong even after dropping the opening set against the two-time Grand Slam champion.
“For me, it’s just kind of a dream come true,” she said. “I was just trying to stay really hard mentally and just keep believing that, at some point, I would turn the game to my side.
“Guys, never stop believing, I guess.”
More to follow…
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