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Image caption,
Coco Gauff lost to Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals in Beijing last year
Published
5 October 2024
Fourth seed Coco Gauff came from a set and a break down to beat Paula Badosa to reach her first China Open final.
The 20-year-old American dug deep to come through 4-6 6-4 6-2.
Spaniard Badosa, ranked 19th in the world but a former world number two, had looked in a good position when she served at 4-3 up in the second set.
But Gauff broke and rattled off the next four games to set up a decider, eventually wrapping up victory in two hours and 21 minutes.
She will face Karolina Muchova in Sunday’s decider after the Czech player defeated home favourite and fifth seed Qinwen Zheng 6-3 6-4.
Zheng, the Olympic champion, needed medical treatment for a hand injury after taking a tumble during the opening set.
Although both players had their opportunities, it was Muchova, who reached last year’s French Open final but is now ranked 49 in the world after wrist surgery, who took advantage.
The win saw her avenge defeat by Zheng in the final in Palermo in July and reach a second career WTA 1000 final after Cincinnati last year, where she lost to Gauff.
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Badosa, who was as low as 140th in the rankings in May, was on a good run of form in Beijing which included victory over second seed and US Open finalist Jessica Pegula in the last 16.
And she took advantage of Gauff’s inconsistencies, particularly on her serve which produced 11 double faults, to win the opening set and break in the first game of the second.
Gauff is working with new coach Matt Daly after ending her partnership with Brad Gilbert last month following her fourth-round exit at the US Open, where she was defending her title.
She saved four break points to avoid going 4-1 down in the second set and from then the momentum was with the American, who regained her composure as Badosa dropped her first set of the week.
Gauff broke three times in the decider to seal the win to reach her first final since she triumphed in Auckland in January.
“I tried to stay focused, it was tough but mentally I just tried to reset,” she said.
