Blink and you missed it.
Amanda Anisimova stormed past compatriot Coco Gauff in 58 minutes on Saturday in Beijing, 6-1, 6-2, the 24-year-old eliminating Gauff in rude fashion as she claimed her eighth Top 10 win of the season.
In the first all-American semifinal in China Open history it was all Anisimova from start to finish as she dispatched the defending champion with alarming ease.
The two-time major finalist will bid for her second WTA 1000 title against either Jessica Pegula or Linda Noskova in the final.
“It was a really good performance – I knew I was going to have to play really well against Coco to get the win,” Anisimova said.
“It’s super exciting, I’m happy to be in my first final here.”
The sheer power and timing of Anisimova’s ground game was the story of Saturday’s third meeting between the pair, and first since 2022.
It was 5-0 in the opening set before Gauff could win a game, the world No.3 saving two set points to finally get on the board. Gauff, who drops to 14-2 lifetime in Beijing, even had a pair of break points in the next game but Anisimova dug in and closed the 27-minute set with a forehand winner.
There would be no reprieve for Gauff as Anisimova raced out to a 5-0 lead in set two as well, and finished off the match after a mini-rally from Gauff got her a pair of games.
Anisimova clocked 15 winners to just eight for Gauff, and broke her compatriot five times. She won nearly double the points, claiming 59 to 30 for the two-time major champion.
Gauff saw her Beijing winning streak snapped at ten consecutive victories. She barely won points on serve, taking just 17 of 44 points on serve overall.
