BEIJING: Coco Gauff overpowered Karolina Muchova in straight sets to win the China Open on Sunday for her second title of the year and eighth overall.
The 20-year-old American and last year’s US Open champion stormed to victory 6-1, 6-3 in one hour, 16 minutes in Beijing.
After a disappointing few months by her standards, including surrendering her New York crown in the last 16, Gauff adds the China Open to her triumph in Auckland in January.
The sixth-ranked Gauff, under a new coaching team in the Chinese capital after splitting with Brad Gilbert last month, wiped away tears at the end.
It was Gauff’s third win in as many matches against Muchova, who suffered a career-threatening wrist injury and missed 10 months of tennis before returning this summer.
“It’s great to see you back on court. You’re such an amazing player and hopefully we play many more finals,” Gauff told her beaten Czech opponent.
“It’s incredible to see how well you’ve managed your season after so many injuries,” said Gauff, whose mother was court-side to see her biggest win since the US Open.
It proved one match too far for Muchova, who at 49 in the world was the lowest-ranked finalist in the history of the prestigious WTA 1000 tournament.
Gauff fights back to reach China Open final
“You kicked my butt,” said Muchova, last year’s French Open finalist and a two-time US Open semi-finalist.
Fast start
Gauff made a fast start, breaking for a 2-0 lead in the first set and then holding her own serve without conceding a point.
The young American was up 3-0 with barely 10 minutes on the clock.
The 28-year-old Muchova sent down an ace to get on the board but Gauff was in the mood and her serve – her biggest problem of late – was firing.
Gauff had three break points in the sixth game and converted the first to streak to a 5-1 lead against a shell-shocked Muchova.
Gauff rattled off her third ace of the match to give her two set points.
Her serving wobbles momentarily returned but she wrapped the first set up in 29 minutes on her third set point.
Muchova, chasing only the second title of her career, dumped out top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals and then beat Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen.
She belatedly found her feet at the start of the second set and broke for a 2-0 lead, only for Gauff to break back immediately on the way to a comfortable win.
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