Nikola Bartunkova, the 26th seed, secured her place in the semifinals of a WTA 1000 event for the first time in her career by defeating seventh-seeded Karolina Muchova 6-3, 6-0 at the China Open in Beijing on Thursday. The match lasted just 67 minutes.
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The encounter featured a notable clash between Czech compatriots, both training at the Štvanice club in Prague. Bartunkova, at 20 years old, dominated the match, winning the first five games and the last seven against her 30-year-old opponent. This victory marks Bartunkova's third career win over a Top 10 player, adding to her earlier upsets against Belinda Bencic at the Australian Open and Aryna Sabalenka during this tournament. She progresses to her third tour-level semifinal, following her appearances in Guadalajara and Monterrey.
Currently ranked No. 34, Bartunkova ended 2025 ranked No. 130 and is set to make her Top 30 debut following this tournament. She will compete for a place in her first final against either the fourth seed Mirra Andreeva or the nineteenth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Despite her impressive performance, Bartunkova expressed surprise at her success in Beijing. "For sure [I didn't expect it] before this tournament," she remarked during her press conference. "I played a lot of practices with top players -- Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, others. Maybe that helps a little bit. I had confidence, but honestly I didn't expect these results."
Bartunkova's playing style has drawn comparisons to Muchova's as both players showcase a mix of power and finesse. Ahead of their match, it was unclear whether Muchova's greater experience would give her the edge, especially as she had a strong season, winning two titles and reaching a major final at Wimbledon.
On the court, Bartunkova quickly established herself, breaking Muchova's serve in the second game and maintaining pressure with aggressive returns. She showcased her skills with effective drop shots and volleys, leading the match to a 5-0 scoreline within 20 minutes. "Today I was really aggressive," she said. "I wasn't very nervous. I tried to put my best tennis on display. I did it."
As Muchova attempted to mount a comeback, she faced significant challenges. Although she managed to win some games, including recovering from a 5-0 deficit to reduce the score to 5-3, Bartunkova's steadiness carried her through. A drop shot error from Muchova on the sixth set point allowed Bartunkova to close out the first set. In the second set, Bartunkova again took control, recording 19 winners compared to Muchova's 12, while the latter suffered from a high count of unforced errors.