China Open Day 12: Swiatek and Samsonova advance to women’s singles final

On Saturday, the women’s singles semifinals of the 2023 China Open took place at Diamond Court, with Iga Swiatek and Liudmila Samsonova advancing to the final on Sunday.

The clash between Grand Slam champions has always been a highlight, especially since both Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff have had impressive performances this year.

Swiatek claimed her third French Open title at Roland Garros, while Gauff crowned herself the US Open champion at Flushing Meadows.

They have met eight times before, with Swiatek leading with seven victories and one loss. However, Gauff won their most recent encounter and was currently on a 16-match winning streak, which undoubtedly boosted her confidence.

However, this time Swiatek did not give Gauff any chances, especially on her serve. With a 75% first serve and an 87% first serve points won, Swiatek showcased a solid and aggressive performance. She ultimately defeated Gauff 6-2, 6-3, ending her streak and reaching the final in her debut appearance at the China Open.

In the other women’s singles semifinal, Liudmila Samsonova, the only non-seeded and non-Grand Slam champion in the final four, faced Elena Rybakina, who defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinal.

Samsonova has a 3-0 head-to-head advantage against Rybakina, with their matches spanning from 2021 to this year.

Samsonova implemented an aggressive game plan throughout the match, with almost no rallies lasting more than five shots and a focus on ending the points in the first three shots.

In the end, she defeated No.5 seed Rybakina 7-6(7), 6-3, securing her spot in the WTA 1000-level final, her second of the year and her career. Looking at the match statistics, Samsonova hit 34 winners and 34 unforced errors, while Rybakina managed only 7 winners but committed 19 unforced errors.

In the women’s doubles semifinals, Hao-Ching Chan and Giuliana Olmos defeated Magda Linette and Peyton Stearns 7-5, 6-4 to advance to the final. Marie Bouzkova and Sara Sorribes Tormo swept Luisa Stefani and Ingrid Martins 6-2, 6-2, setting up a clash with Chan and Olmos in the women’s doubles final.