5 shocking results of the day from China Open & Japan Open ft. Emma Navarro, Leylah Fernandez among the names sent packing
Coco Gauff, Carlos Alcaraz, Hubert Hurkacz, and Emma Navarro were in action at the 2024 China Open and Japan Open on September 27. Day 3 of both tournaments produced high-quality action and saw many big names being ousted.
Alcaraz and Gauff began their China Open campaigns with dominating straight sets wins over French players Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Clara Burel respectively. Other big winners from day 3 of the China Open and Japan Open were Ben Shelton, Daniil Medvedev, Jessica Pegula, and Anna Kalinskaya.
However, many star players like Emma Navarro saw their campaigns at these tournaments come to an end on September 27. Here are five of them who suffered upset losses:
#5 Caroline Dolehide
Caroline Dolehide earned a seed at the 2024 China Open after a couple of withdrawals. As the 33rd seed, she received a first-round bye and began her campaign against Elina Avanesyan. Both women struggled to hold serve in the first set but Avanesyan just did better than Dolehide to muster the one-set advantage. The American managed to equalize the scoreline with a break of her Armenian rival's serve at the end of the third set.
However, Dolehide suffered another steep decline in the final set and was broken three times, allowing Avanesyan to emerge victorious 6-3, 5-7, 6-2. The result was disappointing for the American who was searching for valuable ranking points after being unable to defend her finalist points at the Guadalajara Open.
#4 Marta Kostyuk
Marta Kostyuk was expected to continue her great run on the 2024 WTA Tour at the China Open. Seeded 14th, the Ukrainian faced World No. 60 Katie Volynets in her opening match at the tournament. Volynets, who ousted qualifier Dalma Galfi in her first-round match, made a great start to the second-round contest. The American managed to rattle a nervy Kostyuk and defeated her in straight sets 7-5, 6-3.
The Ukrainian struggled with her serve throughout the match, getting broken eight times and committing nine double faults. During her dismal performance in Beijing, the World No. 18 landed only 50% of her first serves and won a meager 23% points on her second serve.
#3 Hubert Hurkacz
Hubert Hurkacz began his 2024 Asian swing at the Japan Open. The Pole was seeded second at the ATP 500 tournament and came through a tough three-set contest against Marcos Giron in the first round. He faced an in-form Jack Draper in the second round and was sent packing. The Brit, on the back of his maiden Grand Slam semifinal at the 2024 US Open, put on a clinical display to defeat Hurkacz 6-4, 6-4.
With both players being big servers, they fired 11 aces apiece during the match and had identical first-serve points percentages. However, the big difference that worked in Draper's favor was Hurkacz's 52% second serve point percentage. The loss is a massive setback for the Pole's chances of qualifying for the 2024 ATP Finals.
#2 Leylah Fernandez
Leylah Fernandez's campaign at the 2024 China Open ended in her first match at the tournament. The Canadian was seeded 20th and faced talented American Peyton Stearns after a first-round bye. Fernandez scrambled to land first serves throughout the match with just 48% first serves in and allowed Stearns to capitalize with massive returns.
The American broke the former US Open finalist five times in two sets to wrap up a straight set, 7-5, 6-2, win in an hour and 48 minutes. This was Stearns' second win over Fernandez after emerging victorious in 2023 on the clay courts of Rabat.
#1 Emma Navarro
Emma Navarro suffered probably the biggest upset of the year at the hands of World No. 595 Zhang Shuai. The American recently broke into the top 10 of the WTA ranking after her maiden Grand Slam semifinal run at the 2024 US Open.
The sixth-seeded Navarro faced Zhang, who had just broken her 24-match losing streak in singles at the China Open, in the second round and was expected to sail through another win.
However, that was not to be as Zhang brought her A-game with aggressive forehands that kept Navarro on the defense for most of the match. The Chinese veteran dictated most of the baseline rallies as she broke the American five times en route to a 6-4, 6-2 win.
The loss also dents Emma Navarro's chances to qualify for the WTA Finals for the first time in her career.