BEIJING — In a thrilling showdown, French Open champion Coco Gauff battled fiercely against Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, ultimately triumphing in a nail-biting three-set match with scores of 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 on Sunday, securing her spot in the third round of the China Open.
As the defending champion and a beloved favorite among the Beijing crowd, Gauff faced a setback in the second set. However, she showcased her resilience, eventually breaking Fernandez in the 12th game of the final set to seize victory.
Next up for Gauff is a clash against No. 16 Belinda Bencic or Australia’s Priscilla Hon in this prestigious WTA 1000-series event.
In earlier action on Sunday, Eva Lys stunned No. 10 Elena Rybakina, winning 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, while American McCartney Kessler was leading Barbora Krejcikova 1-6, 7-5, 3-0 when the Czech player retired from the match.
The tournament is taking place alongside an ATP 500 men’s event, promising exciting matches throughout the day.
Meanwhile, a day after addressing the Chinese fans with an apology, Lorenzo Musetti enjoyed a smooth victory against veteran Adrian Mannarino, winning in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 during the second round.
Earlier, Learner Tien defeated Flavio Cobolli with a commanding score of 6-3, 6-2, setting up a quarterfinal encounter with the ninth-ranked Musetti.
Third-ranked Alexander Zverev is scheduled to face off against France’s Corentin Moutet in a highly anticipated night match later today.
