By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, October 8, 2026
Photo credit: Australian Open
Young stars soaring on career highs collide for a spot in the Beijing final.
In an all-Czech quarterfinal, Nikola Bartunkova streaked through seven straight games defeating Karolina Muchova 6-3, 6-0 advancing to her first WTA 1000 semifinal in just her fourth WTA 1000 tournament appearance.
Bartunkova and Muchova train at the same club in Prague, but today the 20-year-old Bartunkova was too tough for the former French Open finalist.
“Today I was really aggressive. I didn’t was like very nervous,” said Bartunkova, who started the 2026 season ranked No. 126. “Yeah, try to put my best tennis. I did it. So it was great match for me, yeah.”
Though the pair have only practice together a couple of times, Bartunkova said she’s long looked up to Muchova both on and off the court.
“Yeah, I follow her a lot. I have also similar style like her, playing lot of dropshots, volleys,” Bartunkova said “I like her because she’s also a great human being. Yeah, it’s also great that we were in quarterfinal together and also from the same club. Yeah, it’s great.”
The victory vaults Bartunkova to a career-high ranking of No. 28 in the Live Rankings. Bartunkova will face reigning Roland Garros champion Mirra Andreeva for a spot in the final.
The fourth-seeded Andreeva squeezed out a 7-6(4), 7-6(3) win over 19th-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova for her first final four appearance since she won the French Open last June.
“Yeah, of course for me, I would say every win that I have is very important,” Andreeva said. “Every match that I play and that I get to win in the end is super nice. It feels, I don’t know, brings a lot of more positivity and confidence to my game.
“Of course, going into a semifinals here in Beijing also feels very special ’cause it’s the end of the year. Last year, last tournaments that I played, Beijing, Wuhan and the rest, let’s just not even go back there because I feel like that was something (smiling). Very happy that this year is different and I was able to turn things around.”
It’s a momentous victory for Andreeva. The 19-year-old Andreeva surpasses Coco Gauff, who was upset by Elise Mertens, to move to a new career-high ranking of No. 4.
Andreeva defeated Bartunkova 6-2, 7-6(5) in their lone prior meeting in the US Open third round last month.
“Yeah, of course she beat a lot of great players on her way to the semifinal. For sure this match will be tough,” Andreeva said. “Even though I won in US Open, I still felt like the match was tough. A lot of also up and downs.
“I think this match is going to be very entertaining for people to watch. She’s an amazing player. I’m super excited to play her again. She’s also very young. Kind of a battle of I don’t want to say like the new generation, but young players, teenagers. Very exciting for that match to happen.”
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