Defiant history-maker Zhang Shuai powers into Beijing last eight

Zhang's 6-4, 6-2 victory over Magdalena Frech was her fourth win in Beijing and all in straight sets -- having come into the event after losing 24 singles matches in a row. The barren run lasting more than 600 days was the second-longest on the WTA Tour in the Open Era, which began in 1968. The 35-year-old Zhang, a former two-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist who has been plagued by injury, again made a nonsense of her ranking against the world number 31 Frech from Poland. Zhang, a former top-25 player who has won two major doubles titles...