Bartunkova routs Muchova in 67 minutes, sets Beijing semi with Andreeva

Nikola Bartunkova's breakthrough week in Beijing keeps getting bigger. Days after knocking out Aryna Sabalenka, the 20-year-old Czech took apart her compatriot and seventh seed Karolina Muchova 6-3, 6-0 on Thursday to reach her first WTA 1000 semi-final. She will now face fourth seed Mirra Andreeva, who needed two tie-breaks to get past Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Seven games in a row to finish

The all-Czech quarter-final at the China Open lasted just 67 minutes. Bartunkova won the first five games and the last seven, and the only stretch in which Muchova looked competitive came in the middle of the opening set. After that the 30-year-old, who had needed nine match points to beat Naomi Osaka in the previous round, faded badly.

The numbers explain it. According to the WTA, Bartunkova hit 19 winners, while Muchova managed 12 and made 37 unforced errors. The two players know each other well, as both train at the Štvanice club in Prague, but this was their first tour-level meeting.

"For sure [I didn't expect it] before this tournament," Bartunkova said afterwards. "I played lot of practices with top players... Maybe it helps little bit."

From No. 130 to the Top 30

The size of her rise this season is hard to overstate. Bartunkova finished 2025 ranked No. 130 and came into Beijing at No. 34. Her run in China will take her into the Top 30 for the first time. Before this week, her only tour-level semi-finals came in Guadalajara in 2025 and Monterrey earlier this year.

The win over Muchova was the third Top 10 victory of her career. The first came against Belinda Bencic at the Australian Open, and the second was her third-round upset of Sabalenka here in Beijing.

Andreeva wins two tie-breaks and sets a record

The second semi-final place in the top half went to the more familiar name, but not easily. Andreeva, the reigning French Open champion, beat Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3). The Russian was taken to a tie-break in both sets and had to recover after Alexandrova fought back, but it was her first career win over her compatriot.

"She played unbelievable today, and I'm very happy to get my very first win against her," Andreeva said.

WTAMertens stuns Swiatek in Beijing, sets up semi with home hope Zheng

At 19 years and 154 days, Andreeva is the youngest player to reach four WTA 1000 semi-finals, breaking the record previously held by Coco Gauff. She is chasing her fourth title of the season.

What comes next

Andreeva against Bartunkova pits one of the tour's established young stars against its newest one. Neither player has much experience of the other's game at this level, and Bartunkova has already shown this week that the stage does not bother her.

The bottom half finishes its quarter-finals on Friday. Iga Swiatek meets Elise Mertens, who beat Coco Gauff in the last 16, and home favourite Zheng Qinwen plays Elina Svitolina. The final is scheduled for Sunday, October 11.