Swiatek dominates Samsonova to win the Beijing title

Iga Swiatek won her fifth WTA Tour victory this year by demolishing unseeded Russian Liudmila Samsonova 6-2 6-2 in the China Open final on Sunday, tightening her battle with Aryna Sabalenka for the year-end number one ranking.

Swiatek shed tears of joy after her 69-minute masterclass, which left the four-time Grand Slam champion 465 points behind top-ranked Sabalenka and with a strong opportunity to overtake her at the WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico.

Swiatek received the first break of the match in the sixth game when Samsonova double faulted, and the 22-year-old went on to win the first set without making a single unforced error.

Swiatek's excellent serve proved to be her most potent weapon, as she never faced a break chance and surged up 4-1 in the second set before completing the win with ease as world number 22 Samsonova made another blunder at the net.

Swiatek, the French Open champion, also became the first player since American Serena Williams to win five or more tournaments in successive years. Williams accomplished this feat in 2014 and 2015.

Swiatek also surpassed Caroline Wozniacki's previous record of five WTA 1000 championships before turning 23.

Samsonova, 24, said she would have loved to put up more of a fight in the final but was delighted with her performance throughout the tournament.

SportsLigue