Amanda Anisimova continued a stellar season in which she has finished as runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open by advancing to her second WTA 1000 final of the year, outclassing Coco Gauff, the defending champion, 6-1, 6-2 in the semi-finals of the China Open. Seeded third in Beijing, the 24-year-old American now has a 2-1 edge in her head-to-head record against her compatriot Gauff. Anisimova bludgeoned her way to a 5-0 advantage in the opening set before the second seed got on the board to make it 5-1. Although Gauff fought back to win the next two games, Anisimova sealed the victory in 58 minutes. I really think that’s carried me through this entire tournament.