595th-ranked Zhang Shuai extends historic China Open run

Zhang Shuai extended her fairytale China Open on Sunday as the home player ranked 595th in the world powered into the last 16 in straight sets to make more history.

The 35-year-old wildcard had not won a singles match in more than 600 days when she arrived at the prestigious WTA 1000 event in Beijing last week.

• NIGERIA DAILY: What To Expect From President Tinubu’s Independence Day Speech
• FG’s earning from crude oil sales drops by 79% in 2023

Her run of 24 straight defeats was the longest such barren spell on tour since Madeleine Pegel lost her first 29 matches in 1968-1972.

Zhang, a two-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist whose injuries have plagued, has now won three matches in a row after a 6-2, 6-3 defeat of Belgium’s Greet Minnen.