Bartunkova thrashes Muchova to reach China Open semi-finals

Nikola Bartunkova, currently ranked 34th in the world, delivered a dominant performance to defeat her Czech compatriot Karolina Muchova 6-3, 6-0 at the China Open on Thursday. The 20-year-old completed the victory in a record-breaking 66 minutes, advancing her to the semi-finals where she will face either Mirra Andreeva or Ekaterina Alexandrova.

In the first set, Bartunkova won five consecutive games in just 19 minutes as Muchova struggled to respond. Although Muchova managed to save five set points, it was ultimately insufficient to overcome Bartunkova, who had already eliminated second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka from the tournament. Bartunkova expressed her excitement, describing the match as a "dream come true."

She praised Muchova, calling her a "great player and also a great human being," and emphasized that she focused on playing her best tennis throughout the match. The final of the evening will see Andreeva and Alexandrova compete in an all-Russian matchup.