Amanda Anisimova continued her breakout year with victory over Linda Noskova to win the China Open and claim her second WTA 1,000 title.
Anisimova, runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open, came through a fluctuating match 6-0 2-6 6-2 against the Czech, who she also beat on her way to the final at the All England Club.
Noskova, playing in her first WTA 1,000 showpiece, won just 12 points in a 23-minute opening set where she was on the end of a ‘bagel’ – losing a set without winning a game.
However, with a more aggressive approach, Noskova broke her American opponent in the first game of the second set.
The world number 27 recovered from back-to-back double faults in the next game to consolidate her break and took the second set to level the match.
Anisimova, who hit 17 unforced errors in the second set after just four in the first, improved in the decider and broke Noskova in the sixth game before going on to claim victory.
“It’s been quite a few weeks for me, for sure,” said world number four Anisimova, who withdrew from last month’s Korea Open with an ankle injury.
“I feel like I’ve learned a lot about myself. I can take a lot of positives and [have made] a lot of progress… just figuring out ways to face certain challenges and push myself in moments when it feels like I can’t go any further.
“I feel like in that sense I learned that I’m stronger than I think. That’s a huge win for me… winning the title is really incredible. I’m really happy.”
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