Ann Li sealed the biggest win of her career by upsetting Aryna Sabalenka on her 10th match point after Britain’s Sonay Kartal secured another huge win at the Wuhan Open.
American Li upset the world No 2 and three-time champion in China 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-5) to reach the last 16.
It was another contest where Sabalenka appeared in control only to falter, with the top seed leading by a set and 4-2 then trailing 5-2 in the decider and saving nine match points before Li finally took her 10th opportunity.
Sabalenka has now gone 10 consecutive tournaments without picking up a title in a rare barren run for the Belarusian.
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Kartal continued her impressive comeback from long-term injury against world No 12 and former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic in the second round in China, claiming a 6-0 7-5 victory.
The British star missed six months of the season with a stress fracture in her back, returning last month at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen before reaching the third round in Beijing last week.
Bencic is the highest-ranked player she has beaten since then world No 5 Mirra Andreeva in the Chinese capital last year.
Kartal, who plays Jasmine Paolini next, told a press conference: “I trusted that I would be able to get my level back, I just didn’t know how quickly. I did a lot of things right today but I still think there’s a long way to go.
“I can produce the level, but can I sustain it? I think that’s going to be the hardest challenge. I’m happy to be back, I’m feeling good.”
‘I think I saw snippets from my tennis six months ago’
Kartal recorded a first top-20 win since March
Kartal swept through the opening set before Bencic, who was a Wimbledon semi-finalist last year, responded at the start of the second, taking a 3-1 lead.
Kartal battled back and secured the crucial break at 5-5.
“Super high level from me right from the start,” added the Brit. “A match like that it’s always tough to keep the scoreboard pressure when you’ve come out firing.
“Very happy with how I played in that match, the composure. I think I saw snippets from my tennis six months ago.”
Kartal is ranked down at 170 following her injury break but is already guaranteed to leap around 40 spots.
Swiatek beats fellow Pole Frech; Medvedev through in Shanghai
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Seventh seed Iga Swiatek eased into the third round with a 6-2 6-1 victory over fellow Pole Magdalena Frech.
Swiatek dropped her serve in the opening game of the match but then reeled off 10 games in a row to take complete control.
Frech stopped the rot with a break of serve to get back to 1-4 before Swiatek completed the win moments later in an hour and 44 minutes.
Swiatek said: “I’m happy to get the first match on the centre court because I didn’t get a chance to play there before.
“At the beginning of the match, it was point by point, but then I was happy that I started making less mistakes and I used my chances until the end of the match. For sure it was tougher than the score.”
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Elsewhere, Karolina Muchova came from 6-3 2-0 down to defeat qualifier Caty McNally 3-6 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-4), while Jessica Pegula squandered three match points and lost to Jelena Ostapenko 2-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-3.
Latvian Ostapenko won 2-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-3 in an unlikely comeback against second seed Pegula, who had not played since losing in the US Open semi-finals.
American Pegula has done enough to qualify for the season-ending WTA Finals in Indian Wells.
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In Shanghai, Daniil Medvedev defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4 7-5 to reach his third consecutive quarter-final at the event.
Medvedev became only the fourth player – after Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray – to reach the last eight of the tournament in three straight years.
There have been verbal flare-ups in previous meetings between Medvedev and Tsitsipas down the years, including in the Australian Open semi-finals in 2022 – but there was no real drama this time.
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