WTA Finals Riyadh: 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.
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.
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.
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"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."