Coco Gauff’s 6-4, 6-0 victory over Kamilla Rakhimova, who is currently chasing a repeat China Open title, secured her place in the final 32.
Leylah Fernandez, the third-ranked American, will next face her in Beijing, where she defeated Maria Sakkari from Greece 6-2, 6-0.
After the game, Gauff said, “I think the mindset is a little bit different because playing well at a place gives you a lot of confidence.”
You experience the familiarity of the circumstances from the days before those difficult times,” she said.
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The defending Beijing champion won a drawn-out second game to take home four break points and level for 1-1 with a cross-court winner in her first appearance since the US Open.
Gauff broke first, winning 4-3 with a perfect touchdown.
The reigning French Open champion won the following match, and despite Rakhimova holding her for another, Gauff once more won.
In the opening game of the second set, an energized Gauff broke early without conceding a single point and countered a struggling Rakhimova for a 2-0 lead.
The 21-year-old American fought hard to defeat the dejected but unrepentant 89th-ranked Russian to win a third straight game.
Rakhimova, 24, had no chance of a comeback, so Gauff quickly made work of the rest and won the game.
Gauff told reporters, “I anticipated it to be close.”
She excels as a player and has competed in the past few tournaments with top players.
I just found my rhythm and began to flow.
No one wants to lose in the first round, so I believe it was because I was a little too tight, but I believe the result showed up in the score.
Iga Swiatek, who recently won the title in Seoul, is Gauff’s biggest rival in Beijing, having already lost to top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka.
Source: Channels TV
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