Coco Gauff defeated Eva Lys 6-3, 6-4 in Beijing on Thursday to reach the China Open semifinals, saying she needed to “stay confident and not be too passive” during a controlled straight-sets victory.
In Beijing on Thursday, defending champion Coco Gauff secured a spot in the semifinal of the China Open, defeating Germany’s Eva Lys 6-3, 6-4. With the victory, the world No. 3 continued her run at the WTA 1000 event and extended her strong record in the tournament.
The match started explosively, with both players exchanging breaks in a streak of five straight service breaks early on. Eventually, Gauff wrested control, taking a 5-3 lead in the first set after Lys sent a backhand wide, then consolidating to close out the set.
In the second set, Gauff’s serve found more stability, and she held the upper hand despite a few double faults and a brief wobble. When serving at 5-4, she kept her nerve and wrapped up the match in one hour and 28 minutes.
Reflecting on her performance, Gauff said, “I’m happy with how I played today. She’s a tough opponent, she hit a couple of great shots on the run.” She added, “I think I need to stay confident in my game and not be too passive when I have the lead. I played one passive point in this match, but otherwise I played well.”
Gauff now awaits the winner of the quarter-final between Amanda Anisimova and Jasmine Paolini for a place in the final.