Zhang Shuai’s historic China Open run ended in the quarter-finals on Thursday as the home hero ranked 595 in the world went out in straight sets to Paula Badosa.
The former world number two from Spain won 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) and faces fourth seed Coco Gauff of the United States or Ukrainian qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva in the last four.
The 35-year-old Zhang, a two-time Grand Slam singles quarter-finalist who has been plagued by injury, arrived in Beijing on a run of 24 singles defeats in a row.
The painful losing run, stretching more than 600 days, was the second-longest on the WTA Tour in the Open Era, which began in 1968.
But the former top-25 player finally won a match to start her tournament and then rattled off three more victories to improbably reach the last eight.
Zhang was the lowest-ranked player to reach this stage at the China Open, but her run came to an end against the 19th-ranked Badosa.
In front of a near-capacity crowd at the 15,000-seater Diamond Court, Zhang rapidly went a double break down in a blur of unforced errors.
The home player finally held to get on the board for 4-1, but Badosa raced away with the first set in 23 minutes.
It was first set that Zhang had dropped at the tournament.
The two-time major doubles champion was a different proposition at the start of the second set, breaking the Spaniard and holding serve for a 2-0 lead.
Back came Badosa, who is chasing a fifth singles title, and the 26-year-old Spaniard sealed the deal on her first match point when Zhang’s forehand return drifted wide.
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