Ukrainian tennis player Yulia Starodubtseva (WTA No. 115) advanced to the round of 16 at the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing, China. In the match of the 1/16 finals, she defeated Armenia's Elina Avanesyan (WTA No. 47) with a score of 2-0 (6-3; 6-1).
Starodubtseva's victory marks her second career win against a player ranked in the WTA Top 50. She recorded 2 aces, won 8 consecutive points, converted 5 of 11 break points, saved 1 of 2 break points against her, and committed 1 double fault. Her next match will be against the winner of the encounter between Stearns and Kalinskaya.
Meanwhile, the tennis world is still reeling from the doping case involving Jannik Sinner, who tested positive for clostebol in March 2024. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for a sanction after Sinner had two positive doping tests. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) initially decided not to penalize him, leading to widespread surprise.
Sinner, currently participating in the Beijing tournament, is set to face Jiri Lehecka in the quarterfinals. Despite the ongoing appeal, he remains focused on his performance, aiming to maintain his top ranking amidst the turmoil surrounding his case.