Coco Gauff’s resilience and assertive play propelled her to a hard-fought 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Paula Badosa in the semifinals of the China Open on Saturday.
The opening set was a tale of missed opportunities for Gauff, who squandered 10 break points before finally breaking Badosa’s serve in the marathon eighth game. However, Badosa immediately broke back and sealed the set with a forehand miscue from Gauff.
In the second set, Badosa broke early but Gauff fought back valiantly, saving four break points and holding for 2-3. A crucial break at 4-3 gave Gauff the momentum, and she held her serve to level the match.
The third set was all Gauff’s as she went on an 18-for-20-point run, breaking Badosa twice and forcing unforced errors from her opponent. Badosa briefly regained her composure but handed the re-break back with a botched forehand. Gauff served out the match with an ace, securing her first final appearance since winning the Auckland title in January.
Gauff’s victory leveled her head-to-head record with Badosa to 3-3 and marked her second win over the Spaniard this season. She now awaits the winner of the other semifinal between Zheng Qinwen and Karolina Muchova in the final.
