By love-89.com Coco Gauff staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Paula Badosa with scores of 4-6, 6-4, and 6-2 in the semi-finals of the China Open in Beijing, marking her first final appearance in nine months. This victory is particularly significant for the young American, as it follows a challenging summer and caps off a promising two weeks of play.
Badosa, who has been one of the standout players lately, initially seized control of the match, leading a set and 4-2. However, Gauff demonstrated her resilience by winning four consecutive games to level the match, carrying that momentum into the final set.
“I’m really happy with how I managed to come back today,” Gauff said after the match. “Paula’s a tough opponent, and every time we play, it’s a battle. I knew I had to stay mentally focused on every point, and regardless of the outcome, I’m proud of my fight. It feels great to finish with a spot in the final. I told my team it’s been a long two weeks, but it’s all been worth it.”
Gauff’s last final was at the Auckland tournament in January, where she triumphed over Elina Svitolina to claim her seventh career title. In the upcoming final, she will face Karolina Muchova from the Czech Republic, who progressed after stunning Aryna Sabalenka and defeating local favorite Zheng Qinwen with scores of 6-3, 6-4.
In another significant match, Novak Djokovic made a triumphant return to China by defeating Alex Michelsen in the second round of the Shanghai Masters. The 24-time Grand Slam champion hadn’t played in China since 2019 and chose this event as his first ATP Tour appearance since May.
Djokovic has been selective about which tournaments to enter, having only participated in a Davis Cup match since his unexpected exit from the US Open in August. Although Michelsen, the American player, took advantage of Djokovic’s slow start, the seasoned champion regained his rhythm to secure a tight 7-6 (3), 7-6 (9) victory.
Reflecting on the match, Djokovic commented on Michelsen, a 20-year-old with a powerful game: “I’ve seen him play but never faced him before. It took me a little time to shake off the rust since I hadn’t competed in a while, but he started strong with big serves and an aggressive style. For a big guy, he moves well and isn’t afraid to take the initiative against his opponents. It turned out to be a close match, and I thought the level of tennis was quite high. I’m just relieved I stayed composed during the crucial moments in the second-set tiebreak.”
Michelsen, ranked 43rd, began strong with a 3-0 lead, but Djokovic quickly leveled the score at 4-4 before dominating the tiebreak. The seasoned player appeared poised to take control in the second set, leading 4-1, but Michelsen fought back. The American had two opportunities in the tiebreak to push for a deciding set but was unable to convert.
Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner shrugged off the quick turnaround from their recent epic final in Beijing. Alcaraz convincingly defeated China’s Shang Juncheng 6-2, 6-2, while Sinner triumphed over Taro Daniel with a score of 6-1, 6-4. However, sixth seed Andrey Rublev faced disappointment, falling in three sets to teenage Czech Jakub Mensik.