Aryna Sabalenka added to her growing reputation as she dumped out reigning champion Caroline Garcia in a late-night thriller at the China Open on Thursday.
In the best match of the tournament so far in Beijing, rising star Sabalenka was staring defeat in the face at a set down and 5-3 down in the second set to the fourth-seeded French player.
But roared on by a cheering squad decked out in matching purple and white jackets, the unseeded 20-year-old fought back to force the second-set tie break, and from there a deciding set.
With the holder visibly wilting under the Belarusian’s relentless barrage, Sabalenka surged to the finish in a 5-7, 7-6 (7/3), 6-0 win and a hard-earned place in the quarter-finals.