Linda Noskova seals unexpected win as Jessica Pegula misses three match points, sets up China Open final with Amanda Anisimova

Linda Noskova will get the chance of a lifetime tomorrow as she plays in the final of the China Open. She saw off Jessica Pegula in a wild semi-final 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(6) to set up a clash with Amanda Anisimova tomorrow.

For Anisimova it could be a second WTA 1000 of the year and she will be big favourite. Pegula will struggle to sleep tonight in Beijing after having three match points to win it and was forced into a tie-break from there which Noskova claimed.

Pegula also nearly went 4-1 up in the tie-break but missed an overhead and Noskova as she was all game was there to mop up. She has had a great week and now faces Anisimova who in many ways is the form player in WTA tennis right now. She thrashed Coco Gauff earlier today in just 58 minutes and will look to add to her title collection. This after also confirming her spot in Riyadh earlier this week.

In set one, it was pretty comfortable holds until 3-2 where Pegula was broken. She went 40-30 down initially with Noskova turning it around after Pegula had chances to hold and on her second break point, Noskova managed to finally break to make it 4-2.

She got over that hurdle and then managed to hold without handing any break points to Pegula and she made it 5-2. She sealed the opening set from there with little fuss with Pegula not getting any chances to break back all set such was the dominance on serve of Noskova.

The second set though saw Noskova fall off a cliff. Pegula held to start off before breaking just about on advantage on her second break point but she managed to consolidate and it was pretty much the same outcome from there in breaks and holds as Pegula managed to carve out a lead and do what Noskova did the set before and not give her a chance. Albeit as is often the case with Pegula, it is very much one extreme to another.

Often she was lose the first or second set comfortably then win the next ones emphatically herself. This week she has often lost the first then barely lost a game from there so Noskova nearly fell fowl to that in this case. Pegula went on to claim the second set 6-1 and looked for all the money to be in the ascendancy.

The final set though was a real battle as evidenced with it going all the way. The first four games of the match were all breaks as Noskova lost her serve only to get it back immediately but she managed to hammer home the decisive blow early breaking and then holding for 3-2 on what was a game where she had three break points down the over end go begging. She even had a slim chance to make it 4-2. The only other time when break points were handed out was on Noskova's serve but she weathered the storm at 5-4 and was one away albeit she was broken at the last hurdle emphatically as Pegula took the pressure and handed it further down the other end.

Albeit Noskova rose to it as Pegula had three match points that came and went and the Czech ace sent it to a deciding tie-break and it was all her from there. Pegula went 3-1 and 5-4 up but Pegula lost her serve late and Noskova snuck in front converting at 7-6. A missed chance for Pegula and now a golden opportunity not only for Anisimova but Noskova given the form she's in.