Beijing — Amanda Anisimova blitzed defending champion Coco Gauff 6–1, 6–2 in just 1 hour to surge into the China Open final, ending what many expected to be a tight semifinal before it ever caught fire.
Gauff’s serve vanished at the big moments—five double faults told the story—while Anisimova stayed on the gas from the first ball. The American snuffed out Gauff’s only spurts late in each set, dodging a bagel at 0–5 in the first and then slamming the door after Gauff broke back at 5–1 in the second.
Amanda Anisimova Dictates First Set
Amanda Anisimova completely dictated the opening set, racing through it 6–1 in just 28 minutes. Her dominance was reflected in every key stat: she held serve with ease, winning 89% of her first-serve points and saving both break points she faced. On return, she was relentless, taking 67% of Gauff’s first-serve points and breaking twice from three chances.
By contrast, Coco Gauff struggled badly on serve. Despite landing 63% of her first deliveries, she won only 4 of 12 points (33%) behind her first serve — a telling sign that she wasn’t feeling the ball at all. She managed to win just one service game, often relying more on her second serve than her main weapon, and never created a foothold on return.
Overall, Anisimova’s 2.26 dominance ratio compared to Gauff’s 0.44 summed up the one-sided nature of the set, with the American controlling both pace and scoreboard pressure from start to finish.
Anisimova vs Gauff – Set 1 Stats
| Statistic | Anisimova | Gauff |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 2.26 | 0.44 |
| Serve Rating | 289 | 170 |
| Aces | 0 | 0 |
| Double Faults | 1 | 2 |
| 1st Serve % | 72% (18/25) | 63% (12/19) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 89% (16/18) | 33% (4/12) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 29% (2/7) | 43% (3/7) |
| Break Points Saved | 100% (2/2) | 50% (2/4) |
| Service Games | 100% (4/4) | 33% (1/3) |
| Ace % | 0% | 0% |
| Double Fault % | 4% | 10.5% |
| Return Rating | 241 | 82 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 67% (8/12) | 11% (2/18) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 57% (4/7) | 71% (5/7) |
| Break Points Won | 50% (2/4) | 0% (0/2) |
| Return Games | 67% (2/3) | 0% (0/4) |
| Pressure Points | 67% (4/6) | 33% (2/6) |
| Service Points | 72% (18/25) | 37% (7/19) |
| Return Points | 63% (12/19) | 28% (7/25) |
| Total Points | 68% (30/44) | 32% (14/44) |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Max Points In A Row | 8 | 3 |
| Service Games Won | 100% (4/4) | 33% (1/3) |
| Return Games Won | 67% (2/3) | 0% (0/4) |
| Total Games Won | 86% (6/7) | 14% (1/7) |
| Max Games In A Row | 5 | 1 |
| Injury Timeouts | 0 | 0 |
| Set 1 Duration | 0h 28m | |
Baseline Attack Secures Stunning 6–1, 6–2 Triumph
Amanda Anisimova imposed herself even more in the second set, using her heavy groundstrokes to dictate from the baseline and overwhelm Coco Gauff. Rather than the serve alone deciding the outcome, it was Anisimova’s ability to attack returns and control rallies that broke the set open. She won 56% of Gauff’s first-serve returns and a commanding 67% against the second serve, turning nearly every neutral point into offense.
While Gauff managed two aces and produced her best streak of the match with five points in a row, her baseline resistance was too fragile. Even when she landed a solid 67% of first serves, Anisimova’s pace off the return and her relentless depth neutralized the advantage, limiting Gauff to just 7 of 16 points (44%) won behind the first ball.
On her own delivery, Anisimova stayed steady, taking 80% of first-serve points and striking confidently in extended exchanges. Her five-game run in the middle of the set underlined her dominance, and she finished with 64% of the total points won. Ultimately, it wasn’t just Gauff’s serve faltering — it was Anisimova’s ability to hammer away from the back of the court that carried her to a 6–2 finish.
Anisimova vs Gauff – Set 2 Stats
| Statistic | Anisimova | Gauff |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 1.88 | 0.53 |
| Serve Rating | 275 | 168 |
| Aces | 0 | 2 |
| Double Faults | 1 | 3 |
| 1st Serve % | 71% (15/21) | 67% (16/24) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 80% (12/15) | 44% (7/16) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 50% (4/8) | 33% (3/9) |
| Break Points Saved | 0% (0/1) | 25% (1/4) |
| Service Games | 75% (3/4) | 25% (1/4) |
| Ace % | 0% | 8.3% |
| Double Fault % | 4.8% | 12.5% |
| Return Rating | 273 | 195 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 56% (9/16) | 20% (3/15) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 67% (6/9) | 50% (4/8) |
| Break Points Won | 75% (3/4) | 100% (1/1) |
| Return Games | 75% (3/4) | 25% (1/4) |
| Pressure Points | 60% (3/5) | 40% (2/5) |
| Service Points | 67% (14/21) | 38% (9/24) |
| Return Points | 63% (15/24) | 33% (7/21) |
| Total Points | 64% (29/45) | 36% (16/45) |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Max Points In A Row | 7 | 5 |
| Total Games Won | 75% (6/8) | 25% (2/8) |
| Max Games In A Row | 5 | 2 |
| Injury Timeouts | 0 | 0 |
| Set 2 Duration | 0h 32m | |
What’s next
The result brings Anisimova to her third WTA 1000 final and a second straight final after finishing runner-up at the US Open, having also reached the Wimbledon final earlier this summer. Meanwhile, she is authoring a career-best year, adding this Beijing run to her February title in Doha—a remarkable surge barely a year after returning from a mental-health break that once had her considering college over the tour. Anisimova awaits Linda Noskova in the final.
Quote of the day
“I was just excited to play here in my first semi-final and I was able to put on a really good performance,” Anisimova said. “I knew I was going to have to play really well against Coco if I wanted to get the win… I love playing here and the crowd support has been amazing. Hopefully everyone can come out and support me in the final again.”