Iga Swiatek bulldozes Luidmila Samsanova in Beijing to win fifth title of season

World No 2 sweeps aside her Russian opponent to close the gap on Aryna Sabalenka at the top of the rankings

Iga Swiatek poses with the China Open trophy after defeating Liudmila Samsonova in the final. AFP

Iga Swiatek made her return to the winners' circle in emphatic style on Sunday as the world No 2 eased to the China Open title for her fifth trophy of the season.

Swiatek, 22, was far too strong for Russian world No 22 Luidmila Samsanova, easing to a 6-2, 6-2 victory as the China Open made its return to the WTA Tour calendar for the first time since 2019, after Beijing lifted its zero-Covid policy.

It completed a rock-solid week from the Pole, who en route to the title ended US Open champion Coco Gauff's 16-match winning run in the semi-finals.

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

The season finale, where the top eight players in the world face off, begins on October 29.

Beijing debutant Swiatek was handed the first break of the clash in the sixth game when Samsonova produced a double fault and the 22-year-old then wrapped up the opening set without committing a single unforced error.

Swiatek's superb serve proved to be her biggest weapon as she never faced a break point and raced ahead 4-1 in the second set before sealing the win with ease for her 16th title overall as world number 22 Samsonova made another error at the net.

"I'm very happy. For sure, it was the last thing I expected at the beginning of the tournament," Swaitek said after ending more than two months between titles. "This match today, even though the score makes it seem like it was easy, it wasn't. It was really intense and Liudmila put pressure on me.

"I'm happy that I was solid and consistent and till the end I could keep my focus. At the end I felt really grateful for the support I get from my team because the last two weeks were not easy. So I was happy."

French Open champion Swiatek also became the first player since Serena Williams to claim five or more titles in successive years. Williams managed the feat in 2014 and 2015. Swiatek also became the player with the most WTA 1000 titles before turning 23 with six, eclipsing Caroline Wozniacki's five.

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

"It was an amazing week," said Samsonova, whose run to a second WTA 1000 final of the season ensured she will return to the top 20.

"I was in Tokyo last week and not playing my best tennis, but here I showed some decent tennis and I'm happy for this."

Across the country at the Shanghai Masters, Daniil Medvedev saw his title defence end in the third round with a defeat to American Sebastian Korda.

The Russian second seed fell apart in the second set after Korda won the first on a tiebreaker taken to the brink, with the match finishing 7-6, 6-2.

"I should have won the tiebreak but didn't," world No 3 Medvedev said. "I was down mentally after such a first set... In the tiebreak, he actually didn't play that good (compared to the rest of the match). I didn't use this opportunity and I'm going home."

Medvedev fell three games behind an emboldened Korda in the second set but looked like he might be about to make a comeback with a blistering win in the fourth game.

But the American fought back, taking the next game, and Medvedev grew increasingly agitated, gesticulating in frustration and smashing his racket.

"I feel awesome, I played an incredible match," said 23-year-old Korda at the end, thanking the crowd for their enthusiasm.

"We played a really good tiebreaker, you know, it was up and down from the beginning. I'm happy to be on the winning side of it."