Sixth-ranked Coco Gauff has again made a slow start before rallying to beat Ukrainian qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva 2-6 6-2 6-2 to make the WTA Tour’s China Open semi-finals.
Gauff will next play Paula Badosa, who earlier on Thursday ended local wildcard Zhang Shuai’s unexpected run at the title.
The No.115-ranked Starodubtseva had not lost a set in her three matches this week in Beijing and quickly took the lead, making 10 winners and holding Gauff to zero in an error-strewn first set for the American.
Gauff, the fourth seed, also lost the first set against Naomi Osaka in the previous round before Osaka retired because of a lower back injury.
Former US Open champion Gauff needed to find a response against Starodubtseva and saved two break points in her opening service game of the second set. A service break propelled Gauff ahead 3-1.
After another narrow escape on her next service game, Gauff lost only three more games for the rest of the match.
Zhang Shuai’s drought-busting week came to a shuddering halt as 15th seed Badosa continued her own resurgence in a 6-1 7-6 (7-4) victory in their quarter-final.
Badosa has won 28 of her last 35 matches dating to May and made the semis at three of her past five tournaments. There was also a run to the quarters at Flushing Meadows last month.
But the story of the week has been the 35-year-old Zhang, who entered the China Open on a 24-match losing streak — the second longest in the Open era — and ranked No.595. She didn’t drop a set in four matches this week.
The local had no answer, though, to Badosa’s fast start as the Spaniard made three service breaks to comfortably claim the opening set.
It was much closer in the second as Badosa found herself down 3-1 before rallying to win in the tiebreak.
“I started really strong with my ideas very clear and playing very aggressive,” Badosa said.
“Everything was going my way. Second set, I think she raised her level. She was playing more aggressive and going more to net. At the end it was a battle that could have gone either way.
“Also I knew she was playing with a home crowd, that’s always extra motivation.”
Source Agencies
