Nikola Bartunkova's breakthrough 2026 season reached a new peak on Thursday, as the 20-year-old Czech beat seventh-seeded compatriot Karolina Muchova 6-3, 6-0 in the China Open quarterfinals in Beijing to storm into the first WTA 1000 semifinal of her career.
The No. 26 seed was relentless from the start, winning the first five games of the match in about 20 minutes. Muchova clawed back three games late in the first set and saved five set points, but could not find a way back. In the second set, Bartunkova did not waver, racing to another big lead and closing out the contest in just over an hour.
A season of giant-killing
The quarterfinal win was Bartunkova's third career victory over a Top 10 opponent. She had already beaten second seed Aryna Sabalenka earlier in the week in Beijing, following her earlier-season win over Belinda Bencic at the Australian Open. The run follows third-round and fourth-round exits for the tournament's two biggest names, opening up the draw for the young Czech.
From No. 130 to the Top 30
Bartunkova ended 2025 ranked No. 130 but has climbed to No. 34 this week and will make her Top 30 debut following Beijing. Muchova, 30, was the more experienced player — she has won titles in Doha and Bad Homburg this year and reached her second Grand Slam final at Wimbledon — and both women train at Prague's Štvanice club. On the day, though, Bartunkova hit 19 winners to Muchova's 12, while Muchova's unforced error count rose to 37.
Bartunkova admitted afterwards that the scale of the run had surprised her, saying she had prepared hard by practising with top players such as Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff in the week before the tournament but had not expected these results. She described the match as a dream come true and praised Muchova as a great player and a great person.
She will now play No. 4 seed Mirra Andreeva for a place in her first career final, after Andreeva beat Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6(4), 7-6(3) in the other quarterfinal.
Sources: First WTA 1000 semifinal! Bartunkova beats Muchova in 67 minutes in Beijing — WTA | Bartunkova thrashes Muchova to reach China Open semi-finals — Gulf Times/AFP
The No. 26 seed was relentless from the start, winning the first five games of the match in about 20 minutes. Muchova clawed back three games late in the first set and saved five set points, but could not find a way back. In the second set, Bartunkova did not waver, racing to another big lead and closing out the contest in just over an hour.
A season of giant-killing
The quarterfinal win was Bartunkova's third career victory over a Top 10 opponent. She had already beaten second seed Aryna Sabalenka earlier in the week in Beijing, following her earlier-season win over Belinda Bencic at the Australian Open. The run follows third-round and fourth-round exits for the tournament's two biggest names, opening up the draw for the young Czech.
From No. 130 to the Top 30
Bartunkova ended 2025 ranked No. 130 but has climbed to No. 34 this week and will make her Top 30 debut following Beijing. Muchova, 30, was the more experienced player — she has won titles in Doha and Bad Homburg this year and reached her second Grand Slam final at Wimbledon — and both women train at Prague's Štvanice club. On the day, though, Bartunkova hit 19 winners to Muchova's 12, while Muchova's unforced error count rose to 37.
Bartunkova admitted afterwards that the scale of the run had surprised her, saying she had prepared hard by practising with top players such as Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff in the week before the tournament but had not expected these results. She described the match as a dream come true and praised Muchova as a great player and a great person.
She will now play No. 4 seed Mirra Andreeva for a place in her first career final, after Andreeva beat Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6(4), 7-6(3) in the other quarterfinal.
Sources: First WTA 1000 semifinal! Bartunkova beats Muchova in 67 minutes in Beijing — WTA | Bartunkova thrashes Muchova to reach China Open semi-finals — Gulf Times/AFP
