Katie Boulter’s aspirations of advancing in the China Open came to a halt as she faced a formidable challenge from American player Coco Gauff. Gauff demonstrated her prowess on the court, ultimately winning convincingly with a score of 7-5, 6-2. Despite a commendable fight from Britain’s No. 1, Boulter, the match highlighted Gauff’s skill, particularly as the latter clinched eight of the last ten games played.
In the first set, Boulter displayed determination and resilience, pushing the world No. 6 to her limits. The early stages of the match were closely contested, with both players exchanging pivotal games. After Gauff managed to break Boulter’s serve in the sixth game, it appeared she was gaining momentum. Nonetheless, Boulter showcased her tenacity by regrouping. Her strong serving allowed her to recover from a 5-2 deficit, eventually leveling the score at 5-5. Unfortunately for Boulter, Gauff maintained her composure and secured the first set after several intense rallies, converting on her third set point in the 12th game.
The second set saw Gauff start with renewed vigor, quickly breaking Boulter’s serve in the fourth game. From that moment on, Gauff seemed unstoppable and finished the match with an impressive performance, sealing her victory on her second match point.
In another thrilling encounter, third-ranked Jessica Pegula overcame an early setback to edge out Veronika Kudermetova with a scoreline of 6-7 (9-11), 6-1, 6-2 in the third round. Pegula, amidst her recent stellar form, having won 17 of her last 19 matches—including defending her title in Toronto and reaching the finals in Cincinnati and the US Open—faced unexpected challenges against Kudermetova.
The first set was marked by an intense struggle where Pegula managed to break her opponent’s serve three times but also suffered the same fate. Kudermetova emerged victorious from a grueling 20-point tie-break, taking the lead and seemingly putting Pegula on the back foot. However, the setback proved to be a catalyst for Pegula, who rallied in the following sets. She found her groundstrokes and effectively broke Kudermetova’s serve twice in each of the subsequent sets, ultimately concluding the match after just over two and a half hours of action. This victory marked Pegula’s first win against Kudermetova in three meetings.
As Pegula moves forward in the tournament, she will face the 15th-seeded Paola Badosa, who successfully took down Serbian Rebecca Sramkova with a score of 7-5, 7-5. This upcoming match promises to be another exciting chapter in Pegula’s campaign at the China Open, as she aims to capitalize on her strong performance and continue her pursuit of glory.
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