American tennis ace Coco Gauff moved into the Round of 32 of the China Open on Friday with her straight-sets win over Kamilla Rakhimova in Beijing.
The 21-year-old Gauff cruised to a 6-4, 6-0 triumph over the Russian to set up a clash against Canadian Leylah Fernandez in her subsequent fixture.
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In her first appearance since the US Open, Gauff powered through a drawn-out second game, saving four break points and leveling at 1-1 with a cross-court winner.
The American was the first to break, landing the ball right on the line for a 4-3 lead.
Gauff won the next game, and although Rakhimova held her off for one more, it was the defending Beijing champion who triumphed.
An energized
Gauff broke early without losing a single point in the first game of the second set and defended against a fighting Rakhimova for a 2-0 lead.
The 21-year-old American worked hard to save three break points against the frustrated but defiant 89th-ranked Russian, securing a third consecutive game.
Gauff swiftly denied the 24-year-old Rakhimova any chance of a comeback and closed out the match with a bagel.
Her biggest rival in Beijing is world number two Iga Swiatek, fresh off a title in Seoul, following top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka’s withdrawal.
