It promises to be an entertaining end to the China Open as Amanda Anisimova and Linda Noskova clash in the final. Anisimova is chasing her second title in a WTA 1000, while Noskova will look to win her first. Who will reign in Beijing?
WTA Beijing Final Prediction
Amanda Anisimova vs Linda Noskova
Head-to-head: Anisimova 1-1 Noskova
Amanda Anisimova arrived in Beijing with the disappointment of losing another Grand Slam weighing on her shoulders. The American still had plenty to play for during the tournament, the least of which was to qualify for the WTA Finals for the first time. She did that after her quarterfinal win over Jasmine Paolini before she knocked out defending champion Coco Gauff in under an hour in Saturday’s semifinal. This will be Anisimova’s fifth final of the season. Her lone title win came at this level when she bagged the Qatar Open back in February.
The penultimate WTA 1000 has delivered an unexpected finalist in Linda Noskova. The 20-year-old was touted as the next big thing in Czech women’s tennis, but it’s been two years since her breakthrough at the WTA level that Noskova is finally coming of age. Noskova made history when she reached the semifinals, becoming the youngest Czech woman in that stage of a WTA 1000 tournament since its introduction in 2009. And she’s now achieved another first by advancing to her first final.
Anisimova will enter this match with a lot of optimism after her comprehensive win over Gauff. But it’s not a given she’ll be hoisting the title, particularly having lost her last three finals, including at Queen’s, where she was the favorite. Noskova, buoyed by a couple of top 10 wins during the tournament, will carry the same confidence level into this final. The Czech was only three games away from beating Anisimova at Wimbledon, and if she can control her aggression in the decisive moments, she might inflict Anisimova’s fourth straight final defeat.
Prediction: Noskova in 3
Main Photo Credit: Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK
