MATCH REPORT | 2024 China Open: Coco Gauff returns to winning ways after US Open disappointment

Coco Gauff went about her business in supreme fashion on Friday night at the China Open in Beijing as she took down Clara Burel 7-5, 6-3 to reach the third round.

It is a time of change for Gauff who recently employed the services of a new coach after ditching Brad Gilbert albeit with Jean-Christophe Faurel still very much in the picture as a constant in her process.

But it was a good start for Gauff under new coach. Matt Daly is the new coach anchoring Gauff who previously worked with Denis Shapovalov with the American speaking of her desire to improve her serve after parting ways with Gilbert.

But very much as ever with Gauff, the proof will be in the pudding during the later rounds as opposed to early on with Gauff tending to speed through her opening matches in tournaments before faltering down the stretch.

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Gauff will face 26th seed Katie Boulter in the Last 32 on Sunday. Boulter saw off Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-4 on Friday. It is a split head to head between the pair with Boulter winning in three sets back in 2021 in Melbourne. While Gauff took a straight sets win at WTA 1000 Montreal last year.

It was also slightly more straight forward for Gauff than previous meetings with Burel who has proved a bit of a nuisance to her game. She pushed Gauff all the way to a third set tie-break before the American grinded out the win at Indian Wells.

But China is very much a different kettle of fish with many of the top names in both men's and women's draws finding it difficult to register wins. Emma Navarro who took down Gauff in New York for instance lost to Shuai Zhang earlier today in a shock loss and the seeds mainly didn't have it their own way. But in a late night show, Gauff produced the goods.

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