Marie Bouzková moved into the 2026 Ningbo Open quarterfinals on Wednesday, beating lucky loser Anastasia Zakharova 7-5, 6-2 in China. The world No. 26 from Czechia needed some time to find her footing against the 24-year-old Russian, though, eventually pulling clear in the second set after a tight opener.
Bouzková Fights Back in 1 Set Against Lucky Loser Zakharova
Zakharova held a 5-4 edge in that first frame, forcing Bouzková to reel off three straight games and save multiple set points to take it 7-5. From there, the Czech's serve took over. She held 70% of her service games and converted six of 13 break chances. Meanwhile Zakharova's 45% first-serve points won rate left too many doors open as the match wore on.
The result lifts Bouzková's 2026 record to 33-20 and sets up a quarterfinal meeting with Sara Bejlek at the WTA 500 event. It's the fifth time this year that she's traveled that deep in a tournament. Her last quarterfinal appearance came in Prague over the summer.
For Zakharova, ranked No. 111, the second-round exit is still something to be proud of. She entered the main draw for the first time after Iga Świątek withdrew due to injury.
