The No. 2 seed Coco Gauff reached the China Open semifinals for the third straight year, withstanding a barrage of power from Eva Lys
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BEIJING — The No. 2 seed Coco Gauff reached the China Open semifinals for the third straight year, withstanding a barrage of power from Eva Lys before coming through their quarterfinal 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday.
This is Gauff's fourth semifinal of 2025 and her first off clay since winning last year's WTA Finals Riyadh. She now owns a 14-1 career record in Beijing and has made at least the last four in each of her three appearances so far -- the first player to make three consecutive semifinals here since Jelena Jankovic in 2006-08, according to the WTA.
The American is bidding to successfully defend a title for the second time in her career (following Auckland 2023-24) and will face either No. 3 seed Amanda Anisimova or No. 6 seed Jasmine Paolini in the semifinals.
Also read: Top-seeded Iga Swiatek advances to the third round at the China Open
The tone of the match was set as early as the first point: a 16-stroke lung-buster in which Lys made her aggressive intentions clear but was denied by a terrific lob and forehand putaway by Gauff.
No. 66-ranked Lys never wavered from her commitment to all-out attack. Her tally of 14 winners belied the amount of rallies in which Gauff was forced into error by Lys' relentless pace, frequently after exchanges of over 10 shots.
That game was the start of a five-break sequence in the first set, mirrored in the second by three consecutive breaks. Gauff always had the lead and the control over the match as a whole. Lys played her part in several stunning points but could not reach that level with the consistency required to hit through Gauff. The German finished the match with 48 unforced errors, WTA reports.
"She's a tough opponent; she hit some incredible shots on the run," said Gauff post-match. "I was trying my best to stay aggressive. Just staying confident in my game and not being too passive when I have the lead."