Fourth seed Coco Gauff staged an impressive comeback to defeat Paula Badosa and secure her spot in the China Open final. The 20-year-old American overcame a set and a break deficit to prevail 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, reaching her first final at the event.
Badosa, ranked 19th in the world but a former world number two, looked poised for victory when she served at 4-3 up in the second set. However, Gauff broke her serve and then claimed four consecutive games to force a deciding set. The match, lasting two hours and 21 minutes, saw Gauff dominate the final set to complete the win.
Gauff will now face either unseeded Czech player Karolina Muchova or fifth seed Qinwen Zheng, a home favorite, in the final.
Badosa, who had surged from a ranking low of 140th in May, entered the semi-final on a hot streak in Beijing, including an impressive win over second seed and US Open finalist Jessica Pegula in the last 16. She capitalized on Gauff’s struggles, including 11 double faults, to take the first set and an early break in the second.
Despite the challenges, Gauff, under the guidance of new coach Matt Daly following her split with Brad Gilbert after a fourth-round exit at the US Open, showed resilience. She saved four break points to avoid falling 4-1 behind in the second set, shifting the momentum in her favor. As Badosa lost her first set of the week, Gauff grew in confidence, breaking her opponent three times in the final set to seal the match.
Reflecting on her performance, Gauff said, “I tried to stay focused, it was tough, but mentally I just tried to reset.” She now aims to add the China Open title to her Auckland triumph earlier this year.