Guo Hanyu Produces Stunning Comeback to Eliminate Sorana Cirstea

Posted : 13 October 2026

Chinese wildcard Guo Hanyu staged a remarkable comeback to defeat 12th seed Sorana Cirstea 1-6, 7-6 (8-6), 7-5 in the opening round of the Wuhan Open on Tuesday. The victory marked a significant achievement for Guo, a doubles specialist ranked 240th in the world in singles, who was seeking only the third tour-level singles win of her career.

Guo appeared to be heading for an early exit after losing the opening set and falling 4-0 behind in the second. However, the 28-year-old fought her way back into the contest, saving three match points in the second-set tiebreak before eventually levelling the match. She then recovered from a 5-3 deficit in the deciding set to complete the upset after two hours and 41 minutes.

The emotional victory carried additional significance for Guo, who later spoke about the personal difficulties she has faced while her father has been seriously ill since July. Speaking to Chinese media after the match, she explained that the situation had made it difficult to enjoy competing, despite her determination to continue giving her best on court.

Guo's resilience was evident throughout the contest as she battled through both physical and emotional challenges to overcome the experienced Romanian. Her victory sets up a second-round meeting with American Katie Volynets, ranked 88th in the world, with a place in the round of 16 at stake.

Greek player Maria Sakkari produced a strong comeback to defeat world number 10 Marta Kostyuk 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the second round, dealing a setback to the Ukrainian's hopes of reaching the WTA Finals for the first time.

Kostyuk entered the Wuhan tournament hoping to strengthen her position in the race for one of the two remaining qualification places at the season-ending event. However, after losing the opening set, Sakkari raised her level and won the next two sets comfortably to advance.

Sakkari, a former world number three currently ranked 35th, has shown encouraging form in Wuhan. She will next face either wildcard Wang Xiyu or Mia Pohankova for a place in the quarter-finals. The Greek said she was pleased with the foundation of her game but recognised the need to be more courageous in crucial moments.

American Ann Li advanced to a second-round meeting with top seed Aryna Sabalenka after Colombian opponent Camila Osorio retired with a lower-back injury. Li was leading 6-1, 3-0 when Osorio withdrew, securing her progress without needing to complete the match.

The fixture against Sabalenka presents Li with a difficult challenge as the Belarusian continues her campaign for the Wuhan title. The top seed will be looking to maintain her strong form as the tournament moves into the later rounds.

Former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko also delivered an emphatic performance, defeating qualifier Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-1 to advance to the next round. The Latvian controlled the match and left Kasatkina with little opportunity to mount a comeback.

Ostapenko will next face second seed Jessica Pegula, who reached last year's Wuhan final. Their upcoming encounter is expected to provide a more demanding test as Ostapenko seeks to continue her run in the WTA 1000 tournament.

With several seeded players already eliminated, the Wuhan Open has produced a series of unexpected results. Guo's dramatic victory and Sakkari's comeback against Kostyuk have added further intrigue to a tournament where the remaining contenders are competing for a prestigious title and valuable ranking points.

Guo Hanyu Produces Stunning Comeback to Eliminate Sorana Cirstea

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