Gauff vs Anisimova in China Open semis

Beijing: Defending champion Coco Gauff reached the semifinals of the China Open for the third straight year after beating hard-hitting Eva Lys 6-3 6-4 on Thursday.

The second-seeded American was troubled on her serve and conceded seven break-point chances in Beijing. But Lys, a German player seeking her first career WTA title, could convert only three of them and dropped her own serve five times.

“She’s a tough opponent, she hit some incredible shots on the run,” said Gauff, who is seeking her 11th career title. “I was trying my best to stay aggressive. Just staying confident in my game and not being too passive.”

Gauff next faces fellow American and third seed Amanda Anisimova, the Wimbledon and U.S. Open runner-up. She rallied to beat sixth-seeded Jasmine Paolini 6-7(4) 6-3 6-4 in a tight match lasting nearly three hours. It was just their second meeting, four years after Anisimova beat Paolini in Palermo. Agencies