Beijing super tournament nightmare: Ukraine's Starodubtseva keeps losing streak alive

WTA 1000, Beijing, first round Ajla Tomljanovic (Australia) vs. Yuliia Starodubtseva (Ukraine) 7–6, 6–2

Match summary

In the first round of the China Open, the Ukrainian lost to Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic (WTA No. 94). The match lasted over two hours.

Starodubtseva had a strong start, taking a 4–0 lead thanks to two breaks. However, she couldn't hold the advantage. Tomljanovic came back and won the first set in a tiebreak, 7–6 (7–1).

In the second set, the Australian controlled the court. She broke immediately and closed out the set 6–2 to secure the victory.

Starodubtseva's losing streak

The loss in Beijing marked Starodubtseva's fifth consecutive defeat in WTA tournaments.

Her last win was on July 31 in Montreal, where she defeated Poland's Magdalena Fręch. Since then, Starodubtseva retired early from competitions in Cincinnati, Cleveland, the US Open, and now Beijing.

Ukrainian players in Beijing

Four Ukrainian players made it to the main draw of the China Open.

However, Ukraine's top player, Elina Svitolina, has withdrawn from the tournament and announced that she is ending her season early.

After Starodubtseva's loss, only Marta Kostyuk and Dayana Yastremska remain in Beijing. Both will start their matches in the second round. Kostyuk will face Germany's Ella Seidel, while Yastremska's opponent will be decided between Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro and Romania's Jaqueline Cristian.

The second-round matches will take place on September 26 and 27.

About the China Open

The tournament runs from September 24 to October 5.

The total prize fund of the China Open is $8,963,700. This is the fourth-largest prize fund among WTA 1000 tournaments, behind only Madrid, Miami, and Indian Wells.

The winner will receive over $1 million and 1000 ranking points.

Earlier, we reported on the updated WTA rankings of Ukrainian players.