In a matchup that pitted the defending champion against a rising underdog, Coco Gauff secured her spot in the semifinals of the 2025 China Open with a straightforward 6-3, 6-4 victory over Eva Lys on Thursday. The American, seeded second, showed why she's a force on the hard courts of Beijing, breaking through Lys's aggressive baseline game without dropping a set.
Gauff, who has now reached the last four here for the third straight year, started strong. She grabbed an early break in the first set, capitalizing on Lys's unforced errors that piled up under pressure. Indeed, the German qualifier, ranked 66th, had clawed her way through the draw with upsets over higher seeds like Elena Rybakina, but against Gauff's relentless defense, her power shots often landed wide. Gauff's movement was impeccable; she turned potential rallies into winners by chasing down every ball.
However, Lys didn't go down quietly. She fought back in the second set, holding serve more consistently and even earning a break point midway through. Yet Gauff, drawing on her experience from last year's title run, steadied herself. A crucial hold at 4-4 shifted the momentum, and soon enough, the 21-year-old was celebrating on Diamond Court. This win marks Gauff's eighth victory in nine matches at the tournament since 2023, underscoring her dominance in the Chinese capital.
The path hasn't been easy for Gauff this week. She survived a three-setter against Leylah Fernandez in the third round and a tense battle with Belinda Bencic, where crowd drama nearly derailed her focus. Lys, for her part, impressed with her resilience, pushing Gauff harder than the scoreline suggests. Moreover, her run exposed vulnerabilities in the top seeds, something the tour has seen more of lately.
As Gauff eyes a potential repeat title—her second of 2025 after a strong showing elsewhere—questions linger about how she'll handle the semis against stiffer competition. One wonders if this Beijing form signals a deeper surge for the world No. 3 as the season winds down.