Champion Coco Gauff started her campaign with a victory at the prestigious WTA 1000 China Open in Beijing. The world number four prevailed over Colombian Maria Osorio 7:6(4), 4:6, 6:2 after a hard-fought battle in the second round, sealing her place in the 1/16 finals.
It was the 22-year-old American's first official match after a three-week break. She was last in action in the semifinals of the US Open, where she lost to Elena Rybakina.
The return to the court in the Chinese capital became a serious test for Gauff, who had to use her full arsenal of skills:
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First set (7:6): The contested opening set went to a tiebreak. In it, the American kept her cool and prevailed with 7:4 points.
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Second set (4:6): Osorio responded quickly, made a key breakthrough and tied the score.
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Third set (6:2): In the decisive part, Goff picked up the pace, mastered the plays from the baseline and closed the match with a clear lead.
For a place in the round of 16, Coco Goff will face the winner of the match between the Spaniard Cristina Bucsa and the young representative of the hosts, Sun Xinran.