Coco Gauff has advanced to the semifinals of the China Open, defeating Ukrainian qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 in a hard-fought quarterfinal match on Thursday. The win marks her third WTA 1000 semifinal appearance of the year and sets her up for a showdown against Spain's Paula Badosa, who is also riding a strong wave of momentum. Despite struggling early in the match, Gauff turned things around by staying focused on the process rather than the outcome.
“I was just trying to remember what we've been working on on the practice court,” Gauff said after the match, via Sky Sports. “It's still a lot of things I'm adjusting to, so for me, it's about trusting the process and focusing on that.”
The match started with a rocky first set for Gauff, who was outplayed by the in-form Starodubtseva. The Ukrainian quickly took the lead, and Gauff’s unforced errors allowed her opponent to gain control. Gauff admitted she was frustrated with her game but knew she needed to stay mentally strong.
“Today, I can't control how I play or how she plays, but I can just try to control my mindset and commit to the process,” Gauff said.
Starodubtseva, who hadn’t lost a set throughout the tournament, capitalized on Gauff’s sluggish start, but Gauff began to fight back in the second set. After saving two break points early on, the American secured a crucial service break to go up 3-1, shifting the momentum in her favor. From there, Gauff found her rhythm, eventually wrapping up the victory after a dominant final set.
Coco Gauff set for China Open semifinal match vs. Paula Badosa
Gauff’s semifinal opponent, Badosa, has been equally impressive. The Spaniard cruised through her quarterfinal match against Chinese wildcard Zhang Shuai, winning 6-1, 7-6(4). Badosa has won 28 of her last 35 matches and reached the semifinals in three of her last five tournaments, including a quarterfinal appearance at the U.S. Open last month.
Zhang, 35, was the headline this week. She came into the China Open with a 24-match losing streak — the second longest in the Open era — and a ranking of No. 595, according to the Associated Press. Remarkably, she won all four of her matches without dropping a set before her loss to Badosa.
Gauff has had to come from behind in her last two matches. In her fourth-round match at the China Open, Gauff faced Naomi Osaka in a highly anticipated clash that ended unexpectedly. Osaka was forced to retire due to a back injury after a hard-fought second set, with the match tied at one set each. Gauff had dropped the first set 3-6 but bounced back to win the second 6-4 before Osaka's injury worsened, preventing her from continuing.
Osaka, who had recently returned to the court after maternity leave, was showing signs of a strong comeback, working under her new coach Patrick Mouratoglou. However, her progress was hampered by a back injury that she revealed had first flared up during practice earlier in the day. After the match, Gauff expressed her sympathy for Osaka, acknowledging that it was not the way she wanted to win.
“It was a good match up to that point,” Gauff said. “I wish Naomi a speedy recovery. Nobody wants to win a match like this, especially when it's tied at one set all.”
The match marked the pair's first meeting since 2022, with Gauff now leading their head-to-head 3-2. The win over Osaka set Gauff up for her quarterfinal showdown, where she would go on to defeat Starodubtseva.