Defending champion Coco Gauff brushed aside unseeded Eva Lys in straight sets Thursday to power into her third consecutive China Open semifinal.
The 21-year-old won 6-3, 6-4 and the world No. 3 next plays Amanda Anisimova in an all-American affair in Beijing.
‘I’m happy with how I played today,’ Gauff, seeded two, said. ‘(Lys is) a tough opponent.’
Anisimova had a longer struggle, coming back to beat sixth-seeded Italian Jasmine Paolini 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-4 in a gruelling two hours and 47 minutes.
There was a moment of tension in the second game of the third set when Paolini coughed and the umpire replaced Anisimova’s ace with a first serve.
Anisimova, who lost the US Open final to Aryna Sabalenka last month, survived six break points to level at 4-4 and closed out.
‘It was super tough,’ the 24-year-old third seed said.