Coco Gauff overcame Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 after nearly three hours to reach the Round of 16 at the China Open, keeping her title defense alive.
Gauff Edges Tight Opening Set
Coco Gauff kept her China Open title defense alive with a hard-fought victory over Leylah Fernandez in Beijing, winning 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 after two hours and 47 minutes. The World No. 3 extended her head-to-head record against Fernandez to 4–0, though this time she was pushed to the limit.
The opening set saw both players start strong, but Gauff’s consistency on serve gave her the first break in the fifth game. Fernandez briefly recovered at 4-4, only for Gauff to respond with a decisive break of her own, sealing the set 6-4.
Fernandez Forces a Decider, Gauff Holds Nerve
The second set turned into a battle of nerves. Both players exchanged early breaks, but Fernandez steadied her serve while Gauff struggled with double faults. At 5-4, the Canadian capitalized on Gauff’s errors to clinch the set 6-4, leveling the match.
Fernandez vs Gauff – Set 2 Stats
| Statistic | Fernandez | Gauff |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 1.24 | 0.81 |
| Serve Rating | 272 | 228 |
| Aces | 0 | 1 |
| Double Faults | 0 | 1 |
| 1st Serve % | 74% (25/34) | 59% (19/32) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 60% (15/25) | 63% (12/19) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 58% (7/12) | 46% (6/13) |
| Break Points Saved | 75% (3/4) | 50% (2/4) |
| Service Games | 80% (4/5) | 60% (3/5) |
| Ace % | 0% | 3.1% |
| Double Fault % | 0% | 3.1% |
| Return Rating | 181 | 127 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 37% (7/19) | 40% (10/25) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 54% (7/13) | 42% (5/12) |
| Break Points Won | 50% (2/4) | 25% (1/4) |
| Return Games | 40% (2/5) | 20% (1/5) |
| Pressure Points | 63% (5/8) | 38% (3/8) |
| Service Points | 65% (22/34) | 56% (18/32) |
| Return Points | 44% (14/32) | 35% (12/34) |
| Total Points | 55% (36/66) | 45% (30/66) |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Max Points In A Row | 6 | 3 |
| Service Games Won | 80% (4/5) | 60% (3/5) |
| Return Games Won | 40% (2/5) | 20% (1/5) |
| Total Games Won | 60% (6/10) | 40% (4/10) |
| Max Games In A Row | 2 | 1 |
| Set 2 Duration | 0h 56m | |
Deciding set
The decider was pure drama. The first five games were all breaks, as neither player could hold serve under pressure. Gauff finally consolidated at 4-2 and extended her lead to 5-2, appearing in full control. But Fernandez refused to fold, saving a match point, breaking twice, and leveling the score at 5-5.
Gauff, however, showed why she is among the world’s best. She broke Fernandez once more and served out the match on her third chance, surviving the rollercoaster to book her place in the Round of 16.
/Fernandez vs Gauff – Full Match Stats
| Statistic | Fernandez | Gauff |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 0.88 | 1.13 |
| Serve Rating | 205 | 216 |
| Aces | 0 | 3 |
| Double Faults | 2 | 9 |
| 1st Serve % | 63% (66/104) | 63% (63/100) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 56% (37/66) | 65% (41/63) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 38% (15/39) | 38% (14/37) |
| Break Points Saved | 53% (9/17) | 30% (3/10) |
| Service Games | 50% (8/16) | 56% (9/16) |
| Ace % | 0% | 3% |
| Double Fault % | 1.9% | 9% |
| Return Rating | 211 | 203 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 35% (22/63) | 44% (29/66) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 62% (23/37) | 62% (24/39) |
| Break Points Won | 70% (7/10) | 47% (8/17) |
| Return Games | 44% (7/16) | 50% (8/16) |
| Pressure Points | 59% (16/27) | 41% (11/27) |
| Service Points | 49% (51/104) | 55% (55/100) |
| Return Points | 45% (45/100) | 51% (53/104) |
| Total Points | 47% (96/204) | 53% (108/204) |
| Match Points Saved | 2 | 0 |
| Max Points In A Row | 6 | 7 |
| Service Games Won | 50% (8/16) | 56% (9/16) |
| Return Games Won | 44% (7/16) | 50% (8/16) |
| Total Games Won | 47% (15/32) | 53% (17/32) |
| Max Games In A Row | 3 | 3 |
| Match Duration | 2h 47m | |
Gauff now advances to the next round in Beijing, where she continues her quest to defend the China Open title.