The No. 2 seed from the U.S. advanced to her first semifinal appearance since the French Open in June.
Coco Gauff advanced to the China Open semifinals in Beijing on October 2, 2025, marking her third consecutive appearance in the tournament’s final four. [Greg Baker/AFP]
Coco Gauff overcame a determined effort from world No. 66 Eva Lys, securing a 6-3, 6-4 win in Beijing on Thursday to book her place in the China Open semifinals for the second straight year.
Chasing history as the first woman to defend the WTA 1000 title in Beijing, Gauff—who had been pushed to three sets in her previous two matches—faced strong resistance from the German before closing out the victory.
Coco Gauff reflected positively on her performance after advancing to the semifinals, saying:
“I’m happy with how I played today. She’s a tough opponent, she hit a couple of great shots on the run. 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.”
The match opened at a blistering pace, with both players trading winners and exchanging early breaks in a dramatic start. After a stretch of five consecutive service breaks, it was the defending champion who finally steadied herself, capitalizing on a Lys error to go up 5-3 before serving out the set.
In the second, the world No. 3 found a better rhythm on serve and looked in control, though a brief spell of double faults injected late tension into the contest. Serving at 5-4, Gauff showed composure to seal the victory in one hour and 28 minutes.
The two-time Grand Slam winner will next take on either fellow American Amanda Anisimova or Italy’s Jasmine Paolini for a spot in the final.
