Coco Gauff’s quest to defend her title at the China Open came to a halt as she faced a 6-1, 6-2 defeat against the third-seeded Amanda Anisimova in the semifinals on Saturday.
In a swift performance lasting only 58 minutes, Anisimova, who was a finalist at both the U.S. Open and Wimbledon this year, secured her spot in the final by overcoming her fellow American.
“I knew I had to elevate my game to beat Coco, and I’m thrilled to advance to the final,” Anisimova expressed.
Currently ranked No. 4 in the world, Anisimova dominated the match, establishing early 5-0 leads in both sets.
In the final, she will compete against either fifth-seeded Jessica Pegula or 26th-seeded Linda Noskova.
The 20-year-old Noskova has made history as the youngest Czech player to reach a WTA 1000 semifinal since the format’s inception in 2009.
