Anisimova ends Gauff's China Open title defense in semifinals

Coco Gauff's title defense at the China Open ended with a 6-1, 6-2 semifinal loss to third-seeded Amanda Anisimova on Saturday.

Anisimova, runner-up at both the U.S. Open and Wimbledon this year, needed just 58 minutes to beat her American compatriot and advance to the final.

"I knew I was going to have to play really well against Coco if I wanted to get the win. I'm really excited to be in the final," she said.

Anisimova, who has risen to No. 4 in the world rankings, jumped out to 5-0 leads in both sets.

She'll face either fifth-seeded Jessica Pegula or Linda Noskova, who is seeded 26th.

The 20-year-old Noskova became the youngest Czech player to reach a WTA 1000 semifinal since the format was introduced in 2009.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis