MATCH REPORT | 2024 China Open: Coco Gauff stops rising Ukrainian to set up crunch clash with Badosa

It was perhaps the unknown for Coco Gauff as she entered stage left as the overwhelming favourite on Thursday afternoon in facing Yuliia Starodubtseva. But it was a clash that she revelled in after coming back from a set down.

She won it 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the Quarter-Finals of the China Open in Beijing. It is her third WTA 1000 semi-final of the year and her first since Rome. She is the youngest back-to-back semi-finalist at the China Open since Maria Sharapova back in 2004 and 2005.

Next is Paula Badosa for a spot in the final as two players hunting for further resurgence face off with the Spaniard leading their head to head 3-2. Gauff won their only meeting of the season on clay in Rome.

Facing the Ukrainian, Starodubtseva dominated the opening set. She broke an error prone Gauff immediately and held her to zero winners. Gauff struggled on the main part of her game that can gleam mistakes, her serve. She threw in seven double faults as Starodubtseva continued to pressure. She broke three times in a dominant opening set.

But Gauff showed her champions spirit. She saved two break points in her opening service game of the second set and broke to lead 3-1. She wiped away more break points and settled down to lose just three games for the rest of the match. Dominant after an early scare and now Badosa awaits.

"I was just trying to remember what we've been working on on the practice court," Gauff said. "It's still a lot of things I'm adjusting to, so for me, it's about trusting the process and focusing on that.

"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."