China open: Gauff fights back to beat Badosa in semis

Former US Open champion Coco Gauff fought back from a set down to beat Spain’s Paula Badosa 4-6 6-4 6-2 at the China Open in Beijing on Saturday and set up a final with Czech Karolina Muchova. Gauff has a 7-1 record in tour finals.

Double faults and a weaker second serve troubled world number six Gauff early in the match as Badosa won 75% of her second return points in the set.

The 20-year-old American has made a habit of slow starts in Beijing this week and the script played out again as the No. 19-ranked Badosa took a tight opening set in 59 minutes, saving 10 of 11 break points.

The Spaniard then built a 3-1 lead in the second set before the 2023 US Open champion shifted the momentum by saving four break points and then breaking back to level at 4-4.

Gauff then held for 5-4 and broke Badosa again to force a deciding set.

Gauff said. “I was trying to stay focused. Mentally, I just tried to reset. I got down a couple of times, and I tried to bounce back.” With all the momentum, Gauff then broke Badosa three more times — for the loss of one of her own — as she clinched the match in 2 hours, 20 minutes.

The 28-year-old reached the US Open semi-finals in September and on Friday ended top seed Aryna Sabalenka’s 15-match winning streak in the quarter-final.