BEIJING -- No.2 Iga Swiatek snapped US Open champion Coco Gauff's 16-match win streak after defeating the World No.3 6-2, 6-3 in the semifinals of the China Open. The win boosted Swiatek into her third WTA 1000 final of the season and seventh final of the year.
Gauff had not lost a match since her title run in Cincinnati in August. Her 16-match win streak was the longest win streak of her career and the longest by an American teenager since Serena Williams also won 16 matches in 1999.
"I'm really happy with my performance," Swiatek said on court. "It feels like I can play freely again, so I'm really happy. It's been a while since I felt that way. So I'll remember for the rest of my career that even though tougher times may come, in your mind, you can always overcome that. And with hard work, you can achieve it.
"I'm happy that I switched my attitude after US Open, and hopefully I'll be able to keep it for as long as possible."
As she bids to capture her first WTA 1000 title of the season and a tour-leading fifth title of the year, Swiatek will face No.22 Liudmila Samsonova in Sunday's final. Samsonova advanced to her second WTA 1000 final of the season after defeating No.5 Elena Rybakina 7-6(7), 6-3 in the second semifinal.
Saturday's semifinal was the ninth career meeting between Swiatek and Gauff, the most meetings for either player against any opponent. Gauff notched her first win in eight meetings over Swiatek during her win streak. That victory came in the Cincinnati semifinals over the summer. Before that loss, Swiatek had won the first 14 sets they played.
How the match was won: Coming off a resilient three-set victory over Caroline Garcia in the quarterfinals, Swiatek picked up where she left off. She did not face a break point in the opening set, dominating Gauff from the service line and the baseline. After firing a return winner to earn the first break of the match at 3-1, Swiatek eased through the set to take it after 40 minutes.
Swiatek hit just four unforced errors in the first set, keeping consistent pressure on Gauff's service games. The American won just 27 percent of her second serve points. In contrast, Swiatek lost just four points in her own service games.
Swiatek did not relinquish her momentum in the second set. She broke immediately and consolidated her lead to 2-0. After holding serve to close the game to 2-1, Gauff called a medical timeout to have her right shoulder assessed. Swiatek held at love when play resumed, extending her lead to 3-1. She landed 95 percent of her first serves in the second set and methodically closed out the match.
Final stats: Swiatek finished the match with 17 winners to 6 unforced errors. Serving at 75 percent for the match, she did not face a single break point. In fact, Swiatek lost a total of just eight points on her serve in the match.
Gauff finished the match with 12 winners to 15 unforced errors.
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