BEIJING, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Defending champion Coco Gauff of the United States advanced to the semifinals of the China Open on Thursday, defeating world No. 66 Eva Lys of Germany 6-3, 6-4 to face fellow American Amanda Anisimova in the next round.
The first set featured a series of breaks, with Gauff breaking in the fourth game before Lys responded immediately. The pair continued to trade breaks until Gauff surged ahead 5-3 and then held serve to close out the set.
In the second set, both players held serve through the first four games. Gauff earned a break for 3-2, but Lys quickly leveled. Gauff, however, broke again in the seventh game to seal the victory in straight sets.
"I'm really happy to get through today. Eva is a great player. I thought she moved really well," said Gauff afterward. "I was trying my best to stay aggressive. Just staying confident in my game and not being too passive when I have the lead."
Looking ahead, she added: "Obviously, the further you go, the harder it's going to get. In my next round, I have two quality opponents. It's going to be a fight for that."
With the win, Gauff reached her fourth semifinal of 2025, and her first off clay since winning last year's WTA Finals in Riyadh. She will next meet Anisimova, who rallied past Italy's Jasmine Paolini 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-4.
The other two quarterfinals will take place on Friday, with Britain's Sonay Kartal taking on Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic, and American Emma Navarro meeting compatriot Jessica Pegula. ■
