Pegula to face Noskova in China Open semifinals

No. 5 seed Jessica Pegula will face No. 26 seed Linda Noskova in the semifinals of the 2025 China Open. 

Pegula reached the final four with a 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-1 comeback win over No. 16 Emma Navarro in the quarterfinals, her third straight victory against the American. She opened the tournament with a straight-sets win over No. 94 Ajla Tomljanovic, then saved match points to get past No. 30 seed Emma Raducanu and outlasted No. 23 seed Marta Kostyuk in three sets before defeating Navarro. 

Pegula and Noskova have split their previous two meetings. Noskova won their first matchup in February in straight sets in Dubai, while Pegula took their most recent clash in July, in a three-set semifinal at the Bad Homburg Open. Both players said they expect another tough contest. 

“I’ve played her a couple times and every time it’s been close,” Pegula said after her quarterfinal. “She’s a powerful player and she serves really big, so it’s gonna be tough.” 

Noskova’s path to the semifinals included wins over wild card Xiyu Wang and No. 7 seed Qinwen Zheng in front of the home crowd. She followed with a Round of 16 victory against No. 59 Anastasia Potapova and then ended the Cinderella run of No. 81 Sonay Kartal 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals. 

Noskova is seeking her second final of the year after finishing runner-up at the Prague Open in July. Pegula is aiming for her sixth final of 2025 and her fourth title. Both players are enjoying their best China Open runs. Pegula is competing in her fourth tournament in Beijing and has never made it past the quarterfinal, and Noskova is competing in her second, previously going only as far as the second round. 

The winner will face either defending champion Coco Gauff or No. 3 seed Amanda Anisimova in Sunday’s championship match. 

—Reporting by Coby Spratte

Pegula notches another comeback to beat Navarro

Pegula earned her spot in the semifinals with a gritty comeback over Navarro 6(2)-7, 6-2, 6-1.

To start the first set, Pegula broke serve in the third game and held the next, bringing her ahead 3-1. She served for the set twice but faltered, squandering a total of six set points to get pulled into a tiebreak. She struggled to keep up during the tiebreak and fell behind after taking the first point. She only scored once more before Navarro took the set. 

Pegula tightened up her game for the second set. She broke Navarro's serve to love in the fourth game and again in the eighth to win the set 6-2.  Like previous matches she has played in the China Open, she powered through the third set and broke serve twice to win the match.

The 2025 China Open marks Pegula’s fourth appearance in Beijing as she attempts to win her 10th career title. She recently reached the U.S Open semifinals, losing to eventual winner Aryna Sabalenka. The American will face the always dangerous Noskova next, whose power can be overwhelming on hard courts.

“She can really take a racket out of your hands,” Pegula said.

—Reporting by Mia Fleischer

Noskova overpowers Kartal 

Noskova eased through her quarterfinal against World No. 81 Sonay Kartal, winning 6-3, 6-4 on Friday, Oct. 3. The 20-year-old from Czechia became the third player born after 2004 to reach at least 10 WTA-level semifinals, joining fellow China Open semifinalist Coco Gauff and Diana Schnaider. 

Noskova took control from the start as she broke Kartal’s serve in the opening game. Despite landing just two of her first 10 first serves, she built a 3-2 lead before Kartal struck back in the sixth game, breaking with the help of a Noskova error and a forehand winner. But Noskova quickly steadied, reclaiming the break in the next game as Kartal piled up unforced errors. She broke again in the ninth game to close out the set 6-3. 

Kartal threatened to force a deciding set after breaking Noskova in the opening game of the second set and moving ahead 3-2. But Noskova answered in the sixth game, breaking back with a cross-court forehand winner and a perfectly placed lob. With the momentum shifted, Noskova held steady and, leading 5-4, broke serve to love in the tenth game with an emphatic winner to seal the match. 

“I just wanted to keep my aggression going,” Noskova said after the match. “I feel the most comfortable when I can just focus on my game and feel comfortable doing it.”

—Reporting by Coby Spratte