Emma Navarro’s attempt to bounce back at this week’s WTA 125 tournament was partially successful as the American managed to clinch two wins but then saw her campaign come to an end on Friday with a shock defeat.
Last week, the world No. 8 exited the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing following a stunning 4-6 2-6 defeat to world No. 595 Zhang Shuai who was on a 24-match losing streak and without a win in nearly two years.
Following that loss, she signed up to play at the Challenger level – something that drew attention because it is not every day that you see a top-10 player competing in the lower tier.
“Hey, guys. Emma Navarro here. Just wanted you to know I am gonna be playing at the 125 here in Hong Kong next week. Really excited to be here and hopefully gonna see this city a little bit and play some great tennis so looking forward to see you guys there,” Navarro announced following her Beijing exit.
Navarro upset by the world No. 78 in Hong Kong
After starting with straight-set wins over Viktorija Golubic and Kim Birrell, the top seed suffered a 4-6 3-6 loss to Anna Blinkova in the quarterfinal.
Early in the match, the 2024 US Open semifinalist lost her service twice and ultimately the set. It should be noted that the world No. 8 managed to claim…
