WUHAN -- Day 2 of the Dongfeng • Voyah Wuhan Open featured several intense matches, highlighted by Guo Hanyu's remarkable upset of No. 12 seed Sorana Cirstea. Guo won 1-6, 7-6(6), 7-5 after 2 hours and 41 minutes, saving three match points and recovering from a set and 0-4 deficit.
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Ranked No. 240 in the world, Guo earned her second WTA Tour singles victory and her first main-draw win since Jiujiang in 2025. This victory marks the most significant win of her career, making her the lowest-ranked player to defeat a top 20 opponent at the Wuhan Open since its inception in 2014; Cirstea is currently ranked No. 16.
The match held personal significance for Guo, who recently won her first Grand Slam doubles title at Wimbledon this summer but faced emotional challenges after learning that her father is seriously ill and in the intensive care unit.
"It's really difficult for me when I come back home. I try to accompany my dad... Knowing this actually made me feel quite helpless," Guo shared in Mandarin, visibly emotional. "I always feel something. I cannot just have a happy moment on the court and enjoy the game. I will always have a kind of sorrow, so that's why I made a lot of efforts."
Guo noted that today's victory was especially meaningful as it came during a difficult time for her. She will next face qualifier Katie Volynets, who defeated Australia's Kimberly Birrell 6-7(1), 7-6(3), 6-3 in another three-set match lasting 3 hours and 6 minutes.
In another match, Liudmila Samsonova faced Katerina Siniakova. After dropping just one game in the first set, Samsonova found herself pushed to a deciding set but ultimately secured a spot in the second round, where she will face No. 5 seed Elina Svitolina. "If you give her a little bit of time to play, she plays very, very well," said Samsonova about Siniakova.
Samsonova expressed feeling fresh for the Asian Swing after a modest first half of the season, noting her improved performances on hard courts, including reaching the semifinals in Guadalajara.
In another first-round encounter, Yulia Putintseva edged Zeynep Sonmez in a three-set thriller, 6-7(1), 6-3, 7-5, lasting 2 hours and 51 minutes. Putintseva recalled their last meeting at the Australian Open, where she emerged victorious amid a pro-Sonmez crowd. She will face No. 11 seed Diana Shnaider in the second round.