Defending champion Coco Gauff yesterday brushed aside unseeded Eva Lys 6-3, 6-4 to power into her third consecutive China Open semi-final.
The world No. 3 next plays fellow American Amanda Anisimova, the third seed in Beijing, who last night defeated sixth-seeded Jasmine Paolini of Italy 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 4-6.
“I’m happy with how I played today,” said Gauff, seeded two. “She’s a tough opponent.”
Photo: EPA
“She hit some incredible shots off the run, so I was just trying my best to stay aggressive,” she added.
After an even start to the contest Gauff began to seize control, winning the first set when the German fired long.
“I think I maybe played one passive point in this game, but after that I think I played good tennis,” Gauff said.
Lys stunned Elena Rybakina en route to the quarter-final for her first-ever top-10 win, but downing the reigning French Open champion was a step too far.
The 23-year-old threw her racket at one point in the second set after losing a chance to break, and although she stayed in it a bit longer, Gauff closed out in 1 hour, 28 minutes, her shortest match yet of the tournament.
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