Coco Gauff’s resilience shone through at the 2024 China Open as she overcame an ailing Naomi Osaka in a hard-fought second-round encounter. The match took a dramatic turn when Osaka, who had taken the first set, was forced to retire due to illness with the score tied at 3-6, 6-4.
Gauff, who recently parted ways with coach Brad Gilbert, has been working with Matt Daly and Jean-Christophe Faurel. Despite initial struggles with her forehand and serve, she displayed improved form in Beijing, defeating Clara Burel and Katie Boulter to set up the clash with Osaka.
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, returned to action after a year-long maternity leave with renewed determination. However, her comeback has been marked by inconsistent performances, including a second-round exit at the US Open. She made a coaching change, bringing in Patrick Mouratoglou, but the partnership has yet to yield significant results.
In the match against Gauff, Osaka started strongly, taking the first set with relative ease. However, she began to show signs of illness during the second set, taking a medical timeout. Despite her discomfort, she managed to break Gauff’s serve and take a 3-1 lead.
Gauff fought back, breaking Osaka’s serve in the second game of the second set. However, she failed to capitalize on several break point opportunities, allowing Osaka to level the set at 2-2. Osaka then broke Gauff’s serve again, putting herself in a commanding position.
Undeterred, Gauff raised her level of play, winning four consecutive games to force a decider. However, Osaka’s physical condition deteriorated, and she was unable to continue. Gauff expressed sympathy for her opponent, saying, “I wish Naomi a speedy recovery. Nobody wants to win a match like this, especially at one set all.”
Gauff will now face Ukrainian qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva in the quarterfinals. Starodubtseva has enjoyed a breakthrough week in Beijing, defeating No. 10 seed Anna Kalinskaya in straight sets to reach her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal.
