Ann Li Upsets Sabalenka in Wuhan

Ann Li of the United States beat Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, the top seed, 3⁠–⁠6, 6⁠–⁠4, 7⁠–⁠6(5) in the second round of the Wuhan Open in China. She won on her 10th match point, a point that would have won the match. A seed is a player the organizers rank among the favorites. The match began at 7:20 p.m. in Wuhan (7:20 a.m. ET) and lasted 2 hours 27 minutes.

BBC Sport said Li, 26, is ranked 31st in the world. Sabalenka has won four Grand Slam titles and is a three-time champion in Wuhan.

Li had reached the second round when Camila Osorio of Colombia retired with Li leading 6⁠–⁠1, 3⁠–⁠0 on Tuesday.

Against Sabalenka, the start went to form. Sabalenka took the first set 6⁠–⁠3 and led 4⁠–⁠2 in the second.

From there Li won nine of the next 11 games. She took the second set 6⁠–⁠4 and went ahead 5⁠–⁠2 in the third.

Midway through the final set, Sabalenka called for the physiotherapist. The WTA said she had tape reapplied to her right leg; BBC Sport said she needed treatment for a knee injury.

Then the match points began. Sabalenka saved five of them with Li leading 5⁠–⁠2, and two more at 5⁠–⁠4. The set went to a tiebreak, a deciding game at six games all, where she saved two more.

Li's 10th match point came at 6⁠–⁠5 in the tiebreak, and she took it with a forehand winner.

She described what the long finish did to her. "I think on some of those match points I was about to lose my mind. I was about to crash out," Li said.

The WTA said it was the biggest win of Li's career and her first over Sabalenka in four meetings. It also said Sabalenka had never before failed to reach the semifinals in Wuhan.

BBC Sport said it was Sabalenka's second defeat in a row, after she lost to Nikola Bartůňková, ranked 34th, in Beijing last week.

Li's next opponent is Janice Tjen of Indonesia. Tjen beat Aoi Ito of Japan 6⁠–⁠3, 6⁠–⁠1 in the first round and Daria Snigur of Ukraine 7⁠–⁠5, 6⁠–⁠3 on Wednesday.

Li and Tjen meet on Thursday, October 15, for a place in the quarterfinals.

Sabalenka was not the only seed to go out on Wednesday. Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia beat Jessica Pegula of the United States, the No. 2 seed, 2⁠–⁠6, 7⁠–⁠6(7), 6⁠–⁠3, so both of the top two seeds are out before the third round. Sonay Kartal of Britain beat Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, the No. 9 seed, 6⁠–⁠0, 7⁠–⁠5, and Nikola Bartůňková lost to Jasmine Paolini of Italy, the No. 15 seed, 7⁠–⁠6(5), 6⁠–⁠3.

Most of the other leading seeds came through. Elina Svitolina, the No. 5 seed, beat Liudmila Samsonova 6⁠–⁠2, 5⁠–⁠7, 6⁠–⁠2. Iga Świątek, the No. 7 seed, beat her fellow Pole Magdalena Fręch 6⁠–⁠2, 6⁠–⁠1. Karolina Muchová, the No. 6 seed, beat Catherine McNally of the United States 3⁠–⁠6, 7⁠–⁠6(1), 7⁠–⁠6(4), and Iva Jovic of the United States, the No. 10 seed, beat Dayana Yastremska 6⁠–⁠4, 6⁠–⁠1.

Ashlyn Krueger, another American, came from a set down to beat Lanlana Tararudee of Thailand 2⁠–⁠6, 6⁠–⁠1, 6⁠–⁠1. Leylah Fernandez of Canada beat Han Shi of China 6⁠–⁠3, 6⁠–⁠4. Hanyu Guo of China beat Katie Volynets of the United States 6⁠–⁠4, 4⁠–⁠6, 7⁠–⁠6(3).