Sabalenka and Rybakina suffer shock defeats at China Open

Belarusian player Aryna Sabalenka suffered a shock exit from the China Open, following a similarly unexpected defeat for top seed Elena Rybakina.

Rybakina, playing her first match since becoming the world's top-ranked player, lost to unseeded Erika Charaeva.

Sabalenka's departure from the tournament leaves the women's draw at the Beijing event without two of its most prominent names.

No further details were given about the exact scorelines or the rounds in which the matches took place.

The results mark a disappointing start to the tournament for two of the sport's leading players and open the draw up for other contenders in the remaining rounds.