A thrilling match ended in a one-set tie in Beijing after Naomi Osaka withdrew from the competition, allowing her opponent Coco Gauff on to the China Open quarter-finals.
During the match, Osaka took the lead of a set and a break, but Gauff then rallied to tie the match with a performance record of 3-6, 6-4. However, Osaka was unable to continue the tiebreaker match, and Gauff helped her carry her bags off the court. Osaka has brought a medic on the court after the fifth game, seemingly having a problem with her back. However, despite her injury troubling her during the match, she continued to pressure Gauff, who also had her chances of executing exceptional plays.
Because of Osaka’s exit, Gauff advanced to the final eight for the second year in a row. She will battle against the Ukrainian qualifier, Yuliia Starodubtseva. The winner will face either Shuai Zhang or Paula Badosa in the semi-finals.
Zhang defeated Magdalena Frech 6-4, 6-2 to advance to the final eight, while Badosa won against Jessica Pegula, the runner-up from the US Open, with a score of 6-4, 6-0.
Advancing to the quarter-finals, Gauff said: “It was a good match up until this point. I wish Naomi a speedy recovery, nobody wants to win a match like this, especially at one set all… I tried my best, it wasn’t my best tennis. It was one of those matches where you are trying your best each point.”
She added: “It’s cool to be back in the quarter-finals here in Beijing. I’ve been playing the late match every day, so maybe I’ll get sunshine in the next match. We’ll see what the schedule allows.”
Source: Eurosport