Coco Gauff, the defending champion, came from behind to beat Belinda Bencic 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 in a tense match on Tuesday and reach the quarter-finals of the China Open in Beijing.
She will next face either Germany’s Eva Lys or fellow American McCartney Kessler.
Speaking after the match, Gauff said, “It was a tough match. I had chances to finish the first set, but I’m happy with how I kept fighting. She was really aggressive.”
The match was played in front of a mostly empty stadium, with the court split between shade and bright sunshine, which added to the players’ frustration.
During a break in the second set, Bencic, seeded 15th and from Switzerland, accused Gauff’s team of talking too much, saying, “Your team is chatting. I’m too old for these mind games.” Gauff, the number two seed, quickly replied, “You’re the one playing the mind games.”
Gauff stayed focused and won the second set in a tiebreak after Bencic double-faulted on set point and threw her racquet in frustration. Gauff then took control early in the third set and kept the momentum, finishing the match when Bencic hit into the net.
With this win, Gauff has now qualified for the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia, which will take place in November.
She told the on-court interviewer, “I’m happy to qualify again. Glad to be back in Riyadh and happy I managed it here. It’s been a tough tournament, but I’m pleased to get through.”
