Anisimova lifts China Open title; Sinner pulls out as Djokovic beats Hanfmann
- Last updated: October 6, 2025 | 09:28
Two-time Grand Slam finalist Amanda Anisimova won her second WTA 1000 title of the year on Sunday, brushing off a second-set stumble to beat Linda Noskova 6-0 2-6 6-2 in the China Open final.
Czech Noskova, who had prevailed in a two-and-a-half hour battle against Jessica Pegula in Saturday’s semi-finals, struggled to keep up with Anisimova’s power and speed.
“It’s been an incredible few weeks... we had a lot of challenges,” said Anisimova, who had to withdraw from last month’s Korea Open due to an ankle injury.
“It’s crazy that we made it this far, and getting the win today has been special,” added the 24-year-old, who also beat sixth seed Jasmine Paolini and second seed Coco Gauff on her way to the final.
World number four Anisimova picked precise angles to bounce the ball near the sidelines and frustrate Noskova, blanking the 20-year-old in just 23 minutes.
Noskova, unfazed by the bagel in her first WTA 1000 final, got a break in the first game of the second set, before saving two break points with an ace and powerful backhands to take a decisive 4-2 lead against the American.
However, Anisimova, runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open this year, imposed her will again in the third set, winning four straight games against an exhausted Noskova to secure her fourth career WTA title.
Meanwhile, defending champion Jannik Sinner retired on Sunday from the Shanghai Masters after suffering a leg injury in his third-round match against the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor.
The world number two began to experience issues in the fourth game of the third set, and tried to persevere before abandoning the match when trailing 6-7 (3/7), 7-5, 3-2.
Earlier, Novak Djokovic said he had been “hanging by a rope” before battling through to the Shanghai Masters last 16 with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 win over qualifier Yannick Hanfmann on Sunday.
The 38-year-old Serb is looking to win a record-extending fifth title in Shanghai but was given a mighty scare by the 150th-ranked German.
Djokovic fired two aces to start, delighting the crowd, but soon ran into trouble as Hanfmann found his range.
The German broke in the third game and held serve after that to clinch the first set.
“I was just outplayed by a better player for a set and a half — I was hanging by a rope to stay in the match,” Djokovic said.
Neither player was able to take control of a gruelling second set, until a series of unforced errors from Hanfmann in the 12th game gave Djokovic the opening he needed.
Sweating in 28 C humidity at 9:00 pm, the 24-time Grand Slam champion then broke in the fourth game of the third set as his 33-year-old opponent’s precision dropped.
Cheered on by a stadium full of adoring fans, Djokovic held his resolve to take the third set after Hanfmann hit the ball out.
“I had to dig in really, really deep to come out from this match as a winner, and I think the energy and support of the crowd really got me out,” Djokovic said.
The United States’ Taylor Fritz was not so lucky, becoming the highest-ranked player to be dumped out so far after he fell to 37th-ranked Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4, 7-5.
On a hot afternoon, the world number four seemed lethargic and struggled to get into his stride, unnerved after Mpetshi Perricard nearly broke twice in the fifth game.
That preempted a streak of brilliance that saw the neon orange-clad Frenchman fire three aces to hold the sixth, then break in the seventh.
A closely fought second set came to a head in the 11th game when a double fault by Fritz handed Mpetshi Perricard the advantage, which he swiftly converted with a backhand.
Finishing the match off with two aces, the big-serving 22-year-old said he could be proud of himself.
Mpetshi Perricard will next face 11th-ranked Dane Holger Rune, who beat France’s Ugo Humbert, 6-4, 6-4.
Agencies