Misc Tennis

China Open: Iga Swiatek overcomes Liudmila Samsonova for fifth title of the year

Iga Swiatek plays a shot

Iga Swiatek was playing for the first time in China

World number two Iga Swiatek claimed her fifth title of the year with victory over Liudmila Samsonova in the China Open final.

The Pole added to her titles in Doha, Stuttgart, Roland Garros and Warsaw with a 6-2 6-2 victory in Beijing.

Swiatek, 22, did not face a break point in either set as Russia’s world number 22 Samsonova struggled to cope.

She quickly wrapped up victory in just 69 minutes for her 16th career title.

Swiatek, who ended US Open champion Coco Gauff’s 16-match winning streak in the semi-finals, was handed the first break of the match in the sixth game when Samsonova produced a double fault.

She then went on to wrap up the opening set without committing a single unforced error.

Swiatek’s superb serve helped her go 4-1 up in the second set before sealing the success as Samsonova made another error at the net.

Despite the defeat, Samsonova’s week, during which she beat fifth seed Elena Rybakina, 12th seed Petra Kvitova and 13th seed Jelena Ostapenko, means she will return to the world’s top 20.

The event in Beijing was the last regular-season tournament before next month’s WTA Tour finals in Cancun, Mexico.

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