Linda Noskova stuns Pegula to set China Open showdown with Anisimova

Linda Noskova produced the biggest win of her young career Saturday at the China Open when she saved three match points to upset fifth seed Jessica Pegula and book her place in the final. The 20-year-old Czech prevailed 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 in a tense semifinal that swung wildly over two hours and 28 minutes.

“It was a roller-coaster match. That’s why I cherish this one. It definitely could have gone either way. It’s not easy to play someone like her. I feel like we were both kind of exhausted”, said Noskova.

Noskova, who had already collected a top 10 scalp earlier in the week, struck first by breaking Pegula midway through the opening set before closing it out 6-3. The American, however, stormed back with a commanding 6-1 second win of her own and evened the contest.

The decider became a test of nerve for both players as they traded breaks early before the American edged ahead in the 11th game and then served for the win.

With three match points in hand, the World No. 5 seemed poised to advance and set up an all-American final. However, Noskova had other ideas as the Czech rallied with fearless ball-striking to claw her way back. She then held firm in a dramatic tiebreak to seal the victory on her second match point.

With the win, Noskova now becomes the youngest Czech player — at 20 years and 311 days — to reach a Tier 1 or WTA 1000 final since 1990. It also marked her fifth top 10 win of the season.

Her reward is a final against Amanda Anisimova, who earlier delivered a statement performance by dismantling fellow American Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-2 in just under an hour.

“I was just excited to play here in my first semifinal,” Anisimova said. “I was able to put on a really good performance, and I knew I was going to have to play very well against Coco if I wanted to get the win, and yeah, I’m really excited to be in the final.”

The win lifted Anisimova into her first China Open final and second WTA 1000 championship match of the season. She also became only the third American woman to reach the Beijing final, following Serena Williams and Gauff, and the only player this year to beat Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and Gauff.