BEIJING — Reigning champion Coco Gauff has advanced to the semifinals of the China Open for an impressive third consecutive year, triumphing over the powerful Eva Lys with a score of 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday.
The second-seeded American faced challenges on her serve, surrendering seven break-point opportunities during the match. However, Lys, a German player in pursuit of her inaugural WTA title, managed to convert only three of those chances while succumbing to five breaks of her own against the French Open titleholder.
“She’s a formidable opponent, hitting some remarkable shots on the run,” commented Gauff, who is chasing her 11th career title. “I focused on maintaining aggression and keeping faith in my game rather than becoming overly passive.”
Next up for Gauff is fellow American and third seed Amanda Anisimova, the Wimbledon and U.S. Open finalist, who staged a comeback to defeat sixth-seeded Jasmine Paolini 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-4 in a tightly contested match lasting nearly three hours.
Paolini surged ahead with a 3-0 lead, dominating the first set’s tiebreak.
Anisimova fought back, quickly taking a 4-1 lead in the second set and sealing it with a strong service game.
In the decisive set, Anisimova found herself in a tough spot at 4-3, 40-15 down on serve but managed a crucial hold. She went on to serve out the match against Paolini, who recently played a key role in Italy’s triumph in the Billie Jean King Cup.
This marked just their second encounter, four years after Anisimova secured a straight-sets victory over Paolini on the clay courts of Palermo, Italy.
