BEIJING: Elise Mertens defeated Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-3 on Wednesday to reach her first China Open singles quarterfinal, ending a five-match losing streak against the American.
Mertens won 10 of her final 11 service points and finished with an ace. She completed the fourth-round victory in 78 minutes.
The 13th seed reached the last eight in her seventh appearance at the tournament. Gauff, the third seed, exited the event she won in 2024.
Although Gauff had recovered from difficult positions in their earlier meetings, Mertens maintained control this time. In Dubai earlier this year, the Belgian had held three match points before losing.
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Meanwhile, Gauff committed eight double faults among 34 unforced errors. Four double faults came in the final game of the opening set.
Mertens acknowledged noticing a drop in her opponent’s energy but remained wary of another comeback. “It’s never done against her,” she said.
After the match, Mertens dedicated the victory to her coach and boyfriend, Christopher Heyman, whose birthday falls on Thursday.
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She has now reached two quarterfinals at Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 level or above this year, including Wimbledon.
Next, Mertens faces eighth seed Iga Swiatek, the 2023 Beijing champion. Swiatek has won both of their previous meetings.
