Jessica Pegula saw three match points slip through her grasp as Linda Noskova claimed a surprise semi-final victory at the China Open.

Having lost the opening set, Pegula seemed set to complete a turnaround victory on Saturday when she held three match points on her own serve in the decider.

Instead, Noskova stayed in the match and forced a tie-break, which the Czech won to prevail 6-3 1-6 7-6 (8-6).

Noskova saw a first match point fall away in the tie-break when Pegula drilled a sizzling backhand winner down the line.

However, a rash backhand from Pegula saw her slice out of bounds, handing Nosvoka her biggest win yet as she reached the final of a WTA 1000-level event for the first time.

Noskova will take on two-time grand slam runner-up Amanda Anisimova in the final, after the American overcame compatriot Coco Gauff.

Sunday's showdown will take place between two players born in the 21st century. It will be just the second WTA 1000-level final between two players born since 2000, after Mirra Andreeva took on Clara Tauson in Dubai earlier this season.

20, 311 - Since 1990, Linda Noskova (20 years 311 days) is now the youngest Czech player to reach the final of a Tier 1/WTA-1000 event, surpassing Petra Kvitova (21 years 55 days). Huge!#ChinaOpen | @ChinaOpen @WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/0WjAMSljBj

— OptaAce (@OptaAce) October 4, 2025

Data Debrief: Down to the wire

This match was the third WTA 1000-level semi-final in 2025 to head to a third-set tie-break, after Gauff v Qinwen Zheng in Rome and Victoria Mboko v Elena Rybakina in Montreal.

At the age of 20 years and 311 days, Noskova has become the youngest Czech player to reach the final of a Tier 1/WTA 1000 tournament, surpassing Petra Kvitova (21 years, 55 days), since the format's introduction in the 1990 season.

After Andreeva and Mboko, Noskova is the third player aged 21 or under to reach a WTA-1000 final in 2025 – the second-most in a single season, after four in 2018 (Naomi Osaka, Daria Kasatkina, Jelena Ostapenko and Aryna Sabalenka).