Coco Gauff’s title defence ends with straight-set loss to Anisimova

BEIJING: Defending champion Coco Gauff succumbed to a straight-set defeat at the hands of US Open runner-up Amanda Anisimova, who advanced to her second WTA 1000 final of the year in the semi-finals of the China Open here at the Diamond Court on Saturday. Anisimova showcased dominance from the start of the game, advancing with a 5-0 advantage in the opening set before second seed Gauff got on the board to make it 5-1. The second set followed the same pattern as America’s Anisimova built a commanding 5-0 lead, but Gauff fought back to win the next two games.

Anisimova then, on her comeback, outclassed the top-seeded and sealed the victory in just 58 minutes. Reflecting on her triumph, Anisimova showed excitement about playing the semi-final, stating she knew she had to perform well in order to beat Coco. She acknowledged the support from the crowd and hopes for an alike response in the final. “I was just excited to play here in my first semi-final. I was able to put on a really good performance and I knew I was going to have to play really well against Coco if I wanted to get the win. I’m really excited to be in the final,” Anisimova said.

“I’ve been saying every time I’ve walked on court and won my match that I love playing here and the crowd support has been so amazing since the first day I got here. I really think that’s carried me through this entire tournament. “Hopefully everyone can come out and support me in the final.” It is pertinent to mention that the victory handed a 2-1 lead in her head-to-head record against her compatriot, Gauff. She will face either American fifth seed Jessica Pegula or Czech 26th seed Linda Noskova, who compete in the second semifinal later on Saturday, will be the next contender for the world number four spot. Web Desk