Mertens Triumphs Over Gauff to Reach China Open Quarters

Elise Mertens defeated Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-3 on Wednesday to secure her place in the quarterfinals of the China Open, where she will face Iga Swiatek. Gauff, the highest-ranked player remaining in the women’s draw and currently ranked world No. 4, struggled throughout the match, committing eight double faults and failing to recover from a series of misjudged shots.

This performance was notably poor for Gauff, who had previously won the Beijing title in 2024 and reached the semifinals the prior year. The 22-year-old had recently spoken out about receiving significant online racist abuse following her previous match against Sun Xinran.

Despite attempts from a small group of supporters to rally her for a comeback, Mertens, ranked world No. 19, remained focused and finished the match in 78 minutes, dedicating her victory to her coach and boyfriend. Gauff had also addressed the racist comments on social media after her match against Sun.