Coco Gauff Continues Beijing Dominance, Survives Power-Packed Eva Lys Challenge

The defending champion is making it look almost routine at this point. Coco Gauff bulldozed through another quarterfinal opponent at the China Open, dispatching Germany’s Eva Lys 6-3, 6-4 in what turned into a surprisingly entertaining slugfest that lasted an hour and 28 minutes.

For those keeping count at home, that’s now 14 wins in 15 matches for Gauff in Beijing – the kind of dominance that would make even LeBron James jealous of her home-court advantage. And here’s the kicker: she’s reached the semifinals in all three of her China Open appearances. Talk about knowing how to show up when it matters.

Lys Brought the Heat, But Gauff Had the Ice

Don’t let that straight-sets score line fool you – Eva Lys came to play and brought enough firepower to level a small building. The 23-year-old German was swinging for the fences from the opening point, unleashing a barrage of winners that had Gauff scrambling like she was dodging tennis balls shot from a cannon.

Lys finished with 14 winners and kept her opponent honest throughout, but here’s the thing about championship-level tennis: it’s not just about hitting spectacular shots (though she certainly did that). It is about consistency under pressure, and that’s where the world No. 3 separated herself from the pack.

While Lys was painting lines and going for broke, she also racked up 48 unforced errors – nearly three times as many as her winners. In tennis math, that equation rarely adds up to victory, especially against someone with Gauff’s defensive skills.

The Drop Shot That Changed Everything

The match’s defining moment came early in the first set when Gauff pulled off a drop shot so perfectly crafted it belonged in a tennis museum. After absorbing Lys’ relentless power for most of a grueling rally, Gauff suddenly switched gears, floating a delicate drop shot that caught her opponent completely off guard. That break gave her a 3-1 lead and essentially set the tone for the rest of the match. It was vintage Gauff – taking her opponent’s biggest strength and turning it against them with surgical precision.

Gauff’s Serving Solutions Pay Dividends

Here is something that flew under the radar but deserves recognition: Gauff’s serve was absolutely dialed in. She posted a ridiculous 79% first-serve percentage throughout the match, which is the kind of efficiency that makes coaches weep tears of joy.

For someone who’s battled serving demons at various points this season (remember that Wimbledon first-round exit?), seeing Gauff fire on all cylinders from the service line has to be music to her team’s ears. When you’re serving like that against power players like Lys, you’re essentially taking their biggest weapon – the return – and neutralizing it before they can even get started.

Three Straight Semifinals: A New Beijing Dynasty?

With this victory, Gauff joins some pretty exclusive company. She is now the first player to reach three consecutive China Open semifinals since Jelena Jankovic pulled off the same feat from 2006-08. Not bad for someone who’s still just 21 years old.

The scary part for the rest of the field? Gauff looks like she’s just getting warmed up. She’s cruising through this tournament with the confidence of someone who knows exactly where all the good coffee shops are in Beijing and has her favorite practice courts already mapped out.

What’s Next For the Defending Champ?

Gauff now awaits the winner of the Amanda Anisimova vs. Jasmine Paolini quarterfinal, and honestly, neither matchup should strike fear into her heart at this point. She’s playing with the kind of controlled aggression that suggests she’s ready to make this China Open title defense look easier than assembling IKEA furniture.

The numbers don’t lie: 14-1 career record in Beijing, three straight semifinals, and a serving performance that would make John Isner nod in approval. If Gauff keeps playing like this, she might need to start house-hunting in Beijing because she’s clearly found her tennis happy place.

One thing’s for certain – watching Gauff operate on the Beijing hard courts is becoming as predictable as death, taxes, and someone complaining about the weather. The only question left is whether anyone can figure out how to stop her before she makes this tournament her personal playground for the next decade.