Iga Swiatek Defeats Injured Coco Gauff At China Open
After a convincing 6-2, 6-3 victory over Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek halted the American’s 16-match winning run and proceeded to the China Open final.
After winning at Cincinnati and Flushing Meadows, it was the 19-year-old Gauff’s first defeat since the Montreal quarterfinals.
After Liudmila Samsonova defeated fifth-seeded Elena Rybakina 7-6 (7), 6-3, she will play No. 22-ranked Swiatek in the final on Sunday.
Only four unforced errors were committed by the Polish player in the opening set, which allowed him to consistently attack Gauff’s service and make a vital break at 3-1 to finish the match in 40 minutes.
Coco Gauff was knocked out by Swiatek to take the lead 2-0 in the second set as she kept a vice-like hold on the contest.
Gauff’s right shoulder needed to be examined during a medical stoppage, but Swiatek’s momentum continued as she finished the game to improve to 8-1 all-time versus her opponent.
“I’m really happy with my performance. It feels like I can play freely again, so I’m really happy. It’s been a while since I felt that way. So, I’ll remember for the rest of my career that even though tougher times may come, in your mind, you can always overcome that. And with hard work, you can achieve it.”
Iga Swiatek
Samsonova won in straight sets to go to her second WTA 1000 final of the year while maintaining her four-match winning streak over Rybakina.
The opening set proceeded to a tiebreak when the Russian woman made the initial break to take a 5-4 lead, but she quickly lost the advantage. The third time around, Samsonova successfully sealed the set.
The second set break was crucial for Samsonova to take the lead at 5-4, and she served out the victory in 1 hour and 40 minutes. She finished with 33 winners.
