Coco Gauff Survives Tense Bencic Test to Reach Beijing Quarter-Finals

Defending champion Coco Gauff staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Belinda Bencic 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 on Tuesday, securing her place in the quarter-finals of the China Open.

Gauff will next face either Eva Lys of Germany or fellow American McCartney Kessler in Beijing.

“It was a tough match,” Gauff said. “I had chances in the first to close it out but overall I’m happy with how I fought. She was being really aggressive.”

The contest unfolded in a largely empty stadium, with players alternating between shaded and sunlit halves of the court, creating challenging playing conditions. Frustrations flared at times, particularly during the second-set changeover when Bencic, the 15th seed, remarked:

“Your team is chatting. I’m too old for these mind games, okay?”

Gauff, the tournament’s second seed, replied:

“You’re the one playing the mind games.”

Despite the tense exchange, Gauff maintained her composure and won the second-set tiebreak after the Tokyo Olympic champion Bencic double-faulted on set point and threw her racquet in anger.

In the decisive third set, Gauff broke early and maintained her momentum, eventually winning when a fatigued Bencic returned into the net.

With this victory in the last-16, Gauff has qualified for the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia this November.

“Happy to qualify once again. Happy to be back in Riyadh and I’m glad I was able to do it here,” Gauff told the on-court interviewer.
“It’s been a tough tournament so far, but I’m happy to get through.”

Gauff’s resilience under pressure, coupled with her strategic play in critical moments, positions her as one of the favourites to go deep in the Beijing tournament and signals a strong return to form ahead of the WTA Finals.