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.”
| Player | Seed | Result | Set Scores | Next Match |
| Coco Gauff | 2 | Won | 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 | vs Eva Lys or McCartney Kessler |
| Belinda Bencic | 15 | Lost | 6-4, 6-7 (4), 2-6 | – |
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.
