Ajla Tomljanovic’s strong run at the Zhenghzou Open has come to an end, the Australian going down to top seed and world No.2 Karolina Pliskova in straight sets.

Tomljanovic had enjoyed a terrific tournament that included a win over world No.8 Kiki Bertens.

But she couldn’t find another level against Pliskova and was downed 6-3 6-2 in 68 minutes.

It was Pliskova’s third victory of the year over Tomljanovic after wins in Brisbane and Rome.

Pliskova won 93 per cent of her first serve points, and broke four times en route to her fifth final of the season where the Czech will take on Croatia’s Petra Martic.

Despite three consecutive double faults in the second set, her superior counter-punching was also on display as she hit 28 winners, while Tomljanovic made 13 unforced errors.

Pliskova will seek her first title in China on Sunday after finishing as runner-up in Zhuhai in 2015 and Tianjin last year.

Seventh seed Martic dispatched Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic 6-0 6-3 in 67 minutes to reach her first Premier showpiece, sealing victory with her third ace of the match.

Mladenovic had a mounting error count and six double faults while Martic, who faced only one break point, broke her unseeded opponent four times, helping her win seven games in a row.