Coco Gauff defeated Eva Lys in straight sets to advance to the semi-finals
Gauff will face either Jasmine Paolini or Amanda Anisimova in her next match
The win keeps Gauff’s China Open title defence on track, showcasing her consistent form
Coco Gauff overcame Eva Lys in straight sets to continue her defence of the China Open title, advancing into the semi-finals of the Beijing event.
Lys' run to the last eight included a stunning success over Elena Rybakina in the last 32, but the German was unable to dictate proceedings to the same degree as she lost 6-3 6-4.
Lys' power did cause Gauff difficulties at times, but when five straight games resulted in breaks of serve in the opening set, it was the French Open champion that got three of them.
And Gauff was able to settle things down in the second set. Having only won 59% of first-serve points and 43% when forced into a second serve in the opener, she lifted those respective figures to 64% and 57% in the second set.
Gauff was broken back immediately after inching ahead as Lys got the set back to 3-3, but the American then put her foot down again in the next game, taking her third break point.
The 21-year-old was able to serve the contest out in relative comfort, with Lys sending a backhand spinning past the right corner on match point.
Gauff, who will face Jasmine Paolini or Amanda Anisimova in the semi-finals, said afterwards: "She's a tough opponent, she hit some incredible shots on the run.
"I was trying my best to stay aggressive, just stay confident in my game and not get too passive when I had the lead."
Data Debrief: Gauff behind Hingis and Sharapova
At the age of 21 years and 195 days, Gauff has reached her 11th semi-final at WTA 1000 events.
Since the WTA Tier 1/1000 format was first introduced in 1990, only Martina Hingis (17 years, 321 days) and Maria Sharapova (19 years, 285 days) have done so at a younger age.
