Current Chinese tennis heartthrob and World Number 24 Wang Qiang was beaten by 18-year old Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska in the final of the WTA Hong Kong Open on Sunday.
China's top-ranked player had reached the last four in her last five WTA tournaments and won two of them.
This was Yastremska's first final on tour, while 26-year-old Wang came to Hong Kong after claiming victories in Jiangxi and Guangzhou in the past few weeks.
Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine at the women's singles final match against Wang Qiang of China at the Hong Kong Open tennis tournament, October 14, 2018. /VCG Photo
Things were tied at 2-all in the first set with both the finalists coming out blazing all guns. Wang came up with three nice forehands from the baseline, but when she switched to a backhand, the unseeded youngster moved to the net for a cross-court backhand, en route to going in front 3-2.
After breaking the sixth seed, Yastremska led 4-2, and stayed in control despite losing her balance on a forehand down the line, and subsequently claiming the set 6-2.
Wang Qiang of China at the women's singles final match against Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine at the Hong Kong Open tennis tournament, October 14, 2018. /VCG Photo
The Chinese soon found herself trailing 3-0 in the second set, and looking for a way back into the match, as she forced a deuce with a blazing forehand into the corner.
But the Ukrainian soon had a championship point, and when Wang returned long, Yastremska took the second set 6-1 and the match as well. The world number 102 claimed her first WTA title in straight sets in just 65 minutes and will climb into the Top 80 when the new rankings are released later on Monday.