World number one female tennis player and defending champion Coco Gauff staged a comeback on Tuesday to overcome Belinda Bencic in a nail-biting match, finishing with scores of 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, and securing her spot in the quarterfinals of the China Open.
Both players experienced frustrations during the match, which took place in a mostly empty stadium, as they navigated between one side shaded and the other exposed to intense sunlight.
Tensions flared during a changeover in the second set when Bencic, the 15th seed from Switzerland, remarked that “your team is talking. I’m too old for these mind games, okay?”
Gauff, the second seed, quickly retorted, “You’re the one playing the mind games.”
“It was a challenging match,” Gauff remarked after her fourth-round clash with Bencic.
“I had opportunities to win in the first set, but overall, I’m pleased with my fighting spirit. She was very aggressive.”
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The 21-year-old Gauff maintained her composure to win the tiebreak after Bencic, the Tokyo Olympic champion, double-faulted on set point and angrily tossed her racquet.
Gauff broke Bencic early in the third set and maintained her lead to clinch victory when a fatigued Bencic hit a return into the net.
With her win in the round of 16, Gauff secured a spot in the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia this November.
“I’m happy to qualify again. I’m excited to return to Riyadh, and I’m glad I could achieve this here,” Gauff told the on-court interviewer.
“It’s been a tough tournament so far, but I’m glad to have made it through.”
