From winless in 603 days to making history in China

After ending tennis' longest losing streak for 52 years, China's Zhang Shuai is making up for mislaid time.

The 595th-ranked 35-year-old ended a dire tally of 24 successive defeats spanning much than 600 days, astatine her location tournament, nan China Open, wherever she has now made history.

Having flooded 65th-ranked American McCartney Kessler for her first triumph since January 2023, Zhang pulled disconnected a monolithic upset by stunning US Open semi-finalist Emma Navarro to scope nan 3rd round.

That made her nan lowest-ranked subordinate to conclusion a top-10 force successful nan tournament's history, pinch 23-year-old Navarro classed eighth successful nan world.

In nan Open era only 1 women's subordinate has mislaid much than Zhang's 24 consecutive matches (excluding Billie Jean King Cup), erstwhile Madeleine Pegel grounded to triumph immoderate of her first 29 matches successful nan early days of nan circuit from 1968 to 1972.

Zhang, nan lowest-ranked subordinate to ever compete successful nan main tie of nan China Open - a WTA 1000 event, won 6-4 6-2 successful Beijing connected Friday and will meet 28th-seeded Russian Anastasia Potapova aliases Belgium's Greet Minnen next.

The two-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist had won her astir caller lucifer against a top-10 player, beating number 10 Caroline Garcia successful Tokyo successful 2022.

Zhang's profession has been plagued by injuries and she took a six month-break past year, returning successful Dubai successful February.