Coco Gauff kept her composure to beat Camila Osorio 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-2, at the China Open on Saturday, overcoming shaky serving to survive the second round.
The Colombian, ranked 66th, put up a formidable fight after double-faulting to lose a testy first-set tie-break, though she needed medicine to push through trouble with her back.
Osorio saved two match points but Gauff, the world number four, dug deep, rescuing long rallies with a solid backhand and cross-court saves.
‘It was tough, it wasn’t the cleanest,’ said the 22-year-old American after the two-hour-and-18-minute match.
‘Just happy with how I was able to reset,’ she said.
She next faces either Spain’s Cristina Bucsa or Chinese teenager Sun Xinran, world number 582.
It was Gauff’s first match since losing to Elena Rybakina in three sets in the final four at Flushing Meadows on Sept. 11.
Later on Saturday, Rybakina is scheduled to play Armenia’s 118th-ranked Alina Charaeva in the night session.