Iga Świątek, ranked second, put an end to Coco Gauff’s 16-match winning streak as she progressed to the final of the China Open. She achieved this with a dominant 6-2, 6-3 win over the US Open champion on Saturday.
Gauff, who is 19 years old, suffered their first defeat since reaching the quarter-finals in Montreal. During this period, they were able to win titles in Cincinnati and at Flushing Meadows.
Świątek will meet No 22-ranked Liudmila Samsonova in Sunday’s final, after the Russian ousted fifth-seeded Elena Rybakina 7-6 (7), 6-3.
In the opening set, the Polish athlete only made four mistakes due to their own actions, maintaining a steady attack on Gauff’s serve. They then secured a crucial break at 3-1, allowing them to comfortably win the set in 40 minutes.
Świątek continued to dominate the match, taking an early lead in the second set by breaking Gauff and going up 2-0.
During the match, Gauff requested a break for a medical evaluation of her right shoulder. However, this did not interrupt Świątek’s momentum as she ultimately won the match, bringing her record against Gauff to 8-1.
I am extremely pleased with how I played,” said Świątek. “It feels like I have regained my sense of freedom on the court, and that makes me very happy. It has been quite some time since I have felt this way. This experience will stay with me throughout my career, reminding me that no matter what challenges may arise, I have the mental strength to overcome them. With dedication and perseverance, anything is possible.”
Samsonova advanced to her second WTA 1000 final of the year with a victory in straight sets, maintaining her perfect record against Rybakina in their four previous matchups.
The initial break in the match was made by the Russian player, giving them a 5-4 lead. However, they quickly gave up this advantage as the set went into a tiebreak. Eventually, Samsonova was able to secure the set on her third attempt.
In just 1 hour and 40 minutes, Samsonova made a crucial break in the second set and served her way to victory, hitting a total of 33 winning shots.
Shanghai Masters
In the second round of the Shanghai Masters, the number one seed Carlos Alcaraz defeated Gregoire Barrere with a score of 6-2, 7-5.
Alcaraz had a strong beginning against the 73rd-ranked French player, quickly gaining a 4-0 advantage in the first set which was relatively easy for the Spaniard.
In the second round, Barrere improved his performance, but Alcaraz made a break to go ahead 6-5 and then calmly sealed the victory with his serve.
Next up for Alcaraz is a match against either 30th seed Daniel Evans or qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin.
At the 2019 Shanghai tournament, Daniil Medvedev returned and dominated 98th-ranked Cristian Garin with a score of 6-3, 6-3, securing his 60th victory of the season.
“I will give my best effort and strive to perform well in the remaining tournaments of this season,” stated Medvedev, who is currently ranked third, when asked about his chances of surpassing his 2021 record of 63 wins in a single season.
The Russian athlete has the opportunity to secure their 61st win against the 26th-seeded Sebastian Korda in the third round.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, ranked fourth, defeated Rinky Hijikata 6-4, 6-2 while Tommy Paul, seeded twelfth, moved on with a 6-3, 6-0 victory against Sebastian Ofner.
Jannik Sinner, ranked sixth, recently won the China Open final and went on to defeat Marcos Giron 7-6 (7), 6-2. He will now face 25th-ranked Sebastian Baez in the third round.
Nicolas Jarry, seeded 22nd, and Matteo Arnaldi were also victorious before rain halted play on the outside courts until Sunday.
Source: theguardian.com
