Heather Watson defeated Veronika Kudermetova 6–1, 6–4 in the semi-final of the WTA 250 event in Tianjin on hard court, causing an upset against the pre-match favourite. Watson, seeded lower at odds of 3.41, dismantled the favoured Kudermetova (1.38) with a dominant display in the opening set, breaking serve repeatedly to establish control. Despite Kudermetova's attempts to find her rhythm in the second set, Watson maintained her intensity and clinical execution to secure the victory in straight sets. The result marks a significant scalp for Watson and sends her through to the final, where she will face either the other semi-finalist or the tournament's top seed.