Honda N. beat Duan H. 6-2, 6-3 in Guangzhou, and the key was that his serve was never threatened: he faced no break points all match while converting three of his own. Duan, by contrast, saved only two of the five break points he faced.
Honda broke in the second game of the opening set to lead 2-0, then closed it out with another break in the eighth game at 6-2. He repeated the pattern in the second set, breaking again in game two for a 2-0 lead, and that early cushion was enough with his own delivery untouched.
The decisive number was Honda's return haul: 18 receiver points won to Duan's five, including 10 of 16 on the second serve. Duan won just 38 per cent of his second-serve points (6/16), and Honda took 50 of the 75 total points.