Denis Shapovalov, the Canadian tennis player, withdrew from the Japan Open due to an injury during his quarterfinal match against top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz, leading to a walkover victory for the Spaniard in Tokyo. Alcaraz was ahead 7-6 (3), 2-1 when Shapovalov had to retire. Shapovalov had managed to convert three out of four break-point opportunities while saving four of Alcaraz’s seven chances. Prior to this match, Shapovalov had secured a victory over Alejandro Tabilo from Chile in a three-set match.
In a separate event at the China Open, Aryna Sabalenka, the second-ranked player, suffered a defeat in the third round by the Czech Republic’s Nikola Bartunkova in straight sets. Bartunkova, ranked 34th, defeated the four-time Grand Slam champion 6-4, 6-3, eliminating both top seeds from the tournament’s early stages. Sabalenka’s loss follows the exit of the newly crowned world No. 1, Elena Rybakina, from the competition on the previous day. Sabalenka, who faced Rybakina in the U.S. Open last month, missed five break-point opportunities in the first set, continuing her historical struggles in Beijing where she has never advanced past the quarterfinals.
Moving forward, Bartunkova is set to compete against Sinja Kraus of Austria, while Mirra Andreeva, ranked fifth, comfortably advanced to the fourth round by defeating Polina Kudermetova with a score of 6-4, 6-1 in just 68 minutes. In the men’s tournament, Hubert Hurkacz secured a spot in the final four by defeating Karen Khachanov 7-6 (2), 6-2.
Later in the day, the top seed and U.S. Open champion, Alexander Zverev, is scheduled to play his quarterfinal match against Novak Djokovic.