BEIJING — Coco Gauff rallied from a set down for the third consecutive match as she beat Paula Badosa 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday to advance to the ultimate of the China Open.
The sixth-ranked Gauff will play both Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen or Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in Sunday’s remaining looking for her second WTA-1000 degree title. Gauff has a 7-1 report in tour finals.
The American has made a behavior of sluggish begins in Beijing this week and the script performed out once more because the No. 19-ranked Badosa took a good opening set in 59 minutes, saving 10 of 11 break factors.
Badosa then constructed a 3-1 lead within the second set earlier than the 2023 US Open champion shifted the momentum by saving 4 break factors after which breaking again to degree at 4-4.
Gauff, 20, then held for 5-4 and broke Badosa once more to power a deciding set.
“I felt like I used to be enjoying the correct means the entire time, simply a few unforced errors, she was enjoying nicely too,” Gauff mentioned in her on-court interview. “I used to be making an attempt to remain targeted. Mentally, I simply tried to reset. I bought down a few occasions, and I attempted to bounce again.”
With all of the momentum, Gauff then broke Badosa three extra occasions — for the lack of one in every of her personal — as she clinched the match in 2 hours, 20 minutes.
Gauff had additionally misplaced the primary set to Naomi Osaka within the fourth spherical earlier than successful by walkover because the four-time main winner retired with a again harm at one set-all.
“I’ve had robust opponents the entire match,” Gauff mentioned.
Within the quarterfinals, Gauff trailed the No. 115-ranked Yuliia Starodubtseva earlier than rallying to win in three.
