Russian unseeded player Daria Kasatkina came back from one set down to beat defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska 4-6 7-5 6-2 after 2 hours and 32 minutes in the third round of the China Open in Beijing. Kasatkina notched her 11th third-set win in 2017. Kasakina broke eight times and hit 42 winners to Radwanska’s 33.
Radwanska earned two break points in the fourth game but failed to convert them. Kasatkina got the first break of the match in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead. Radwanska broke straight back and held her serve to win her second consecutive game en route to clinching the first set.
Kasatkina went up a break twice in the second set but Radwanska pulled the break back both times. In the fifth game Radwanska managed to hold her serve after a streak of five consecutive breaks. The next games went on serve until 5-5 before Kasatkina broke Radwanska, who was just two points away from winning the match at 5-4. Kasatkina held her service game to close out the second set.
The decider started with three consecutive breaks, as Kasatkina took a 2-1 lead. Kasatkina got another break to open up a 4-1 lead. Radwanska pulled one of the two breaks back but dropped her serve in the next game. Kasatkina served it out in the next game easily.
Kasatkina scored her 29th match win in 2017 in her first ever head-to-head match against Radwanska to advance to her second career Premier Mandatory quarter final and her first since Indian Wells 2016, where she lost to Karolina Pliskova.
The young Russian player clinched her tenth career win against a top 20 player and the fifth in 2017 after beating Angelique Kerber twice, Jelena Ostapenko and Simona Halep.
“It was a great night, a great match. We played a good match and I am so happy happy that I won this battle”, said Kasatkina.
Kasatkina will take on Simona Halep, who showed great form by beating Maria Sharapova. The Russian player won her recent head-to-head match in the second round in Wuhan by 6-2 6-1. Halep still leads 2-1 in their three head-to-head matches.
“We are going to play for the fourth time, so I am excited about this match. It’s already quarter finals, so I have to give my best”, said Kasatkina.
Elina Svitolina beat last week’s Wuhan finalist Ashleigh Barty 6-2 6-4 after one hour and 15 minutes to score her 50th win of the season and her third win in as many matches against her Australian rival. The Ukrainian player lost to Radwanska in the semifinal last year.
Svitolina dropped serve in her opening service game but held her next service games easily. After trading breaks in the first games of the match, Barty saved a break point in the fifth game. Svitolina converted hers second break point chance with a crosscourt forehand winner. Barty was forced to save another break point in a 16-point marathon game before holding her serve. Svitolina never looked back and closed out the first set 6-4. Svitolina broke serve in the third game to open up a 3-1 lead. Barty saved five break points for 5-2 in the seventh game but Svitolina converted her sixth chance earning the chance to serve out for the match. She served it out in the next game after one hour and 15 minutes after dropping just four points on her serve to wrap up the match. Svitolina has become the third player to score 50 match wins in 2017 after Caroline Wozniacki and Karolina Pliskova. She will take on Elina Vesnina in the third round. Svitolina and Vesnina are tied 2-2 in their previous head-to-head matches, but the Ukrainian player won their most recent match in Zhuhai.
