Coco Gauff to face Paula Badosa in China Open Semifinal

BEIJING (AP) — American tennis star Coco Gauff made a stunning comeback to defeat Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 on Thursday, securing her spot in the China Open semifinals for the second consecutive year. Gauff will now face Spain’s Paula Badosa, who halted the surprise run of local player Zhang Shuai.

Starodubtseva, who had advanced through qualifying and was yet to lose a set in her three previous matches, dominated the first set. She accumulated 10 winners, while Gauff failed to land any.

Gauff also trailed in her previous round against Naomi Osaka, but the Japanese player was forced to retire due to a back injury. Starodubtseva recently made history by becoming the first woman to qualify for the main draws of all four Grand Slam tournaments in a single year.

In the second set, Gauff saved two break points in her first service game before gaining a crucial break of serve to go up 3-1. Despite facing challenges, Gauff only lost three games in the rest of the quarterfinal, finishing strong to reach the semifinal.

Her opponent, Paula Badosa, is a seasoned player known for her consistent performances in major tournaments, setting up an exciting semifinal clash.

Aakhir Tak Editor-in-Chief

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