Coco Gauff’s run at the China Open came to an abrupt end, as she was comfortably beaten by fellow American Amanda Anisimova.
Anisimova won their semi-final clash in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2, securing her place in back-to-back WTA 1000 finals. Gauff is still searching for a return to form since her title-winning run in Auckland earlier this year.
It was another tough day on serve for the 21-year-old, who hit five double faults and managed just a 38% win rate on her first serve. Speaking after the match, Gauff credited Anisimova’s performance but admitted she wasn’t happy with how she played.
“It didn’t go my way today,” Gauff said. “I’ve played her a couple of times now and every time it gets better and better. She plays great tennis, she really pushed me today.”
Coco Gauff offers honest assessment after Amanda Anisimova defeat
After the match, Gauff gave full credit to Anisimova’s performance, recognising how difficult it was to find any sort of rhythm during the contest.
“She played well,” said the two-time Grand Slam champion. “I felt like I couldn’t really have a chance of getting a rhythm out there. But a learning experience for the next time.
“I mean, she’s definitely one of the best out of those I’ve played. Yeah, for sure, she and Aryna [Sabalenka] are tough when they’re playing that level of tennis.
“I felt like today, no matter what I did, I just couldn’t get into the match. So yeah, I’m going to take this and learn from it.”
Coco Gauff not ruling out future China Open return
Despite her disappointment in Beijing this time around, Coco made it clear she would be open to returning to the China Open in future years if healthy.
She said: “Yeah, for sure. If I’m not injured, I’ll definitely come back. I’ve had and have had great times here. Obviously today wasn’t my day but looking forward to next year.”
Coco Gauff reflects on her China Open performance
Although her run ended with a loss, Gauff put together four wins in Beijing — her best stretch of matches at a single tournament since winning the French Open.
Reflecting on her week, she said: “Overall [it was] a positive tournament. I had a great time here on and off the court.
“I felt pretty good going out there today. I don’t know, I was practicing great. I just went on court, and she completely took over.
READ MORE: Novak Djokovic speaks out against ATP Tour change he opposed from the start
“So yeah, I think there’s a lot of learning experiences. I know what I need to do against players like her in the future. Now it’s all about going back to practice and trying to implement those things.”
Gauff is now set to head to Wuhan for the final WTA 1000 event of the season.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
