BEIJING — Second-ranked Iga Swiatek ended Coco Gauff's 16-match winning streak as she advanced to the China Open final with a dominant 6-2, 6-3 victory over the US Open champion on Saturday.
It was the 19-year-old Gauff's first loss since the quarterfinals in Montreal, a span that included titles in Cincinnati and at Flushing Meadows.
Swiatek will meet fifth-seeded Elena Rybakina or Liudmila Samsonova, who play later Saturday, in the final. The Polish player made just four unforced errors in the first set, keeping consistent pressure on Gauff's serve, and made a decisive break at 3-1 to ease through the set in 40 minutes.
Swiatek maintained her vice-like grip on the match, breaking Gauff at the start of the second set to lead 2-0. A medical timeout to have Gauff's right shoulder assessed didn't break Swiatek's momentum as she closed it out to extend her head-to-head record against her rival to 8-1. «I'm really happy with my performance,» Swiatek said. «It feels like I can play freely again, so I'm really happy.