Major surprise with Coco Gauff in Beijing

Wednesday’s day in the tournament Beijing left us with the elimination of one of the top candidates for the title: Coco Gauff. The American, third seed, fell in the round of 16 6-3, 6-3 against Belgian Elise Mertens (n.19)whom he had defeated in their five previous matches.

In one hour and twenty minutes on the hard court of the Diamond power plant in Beijing, Mertens took advantage of the fragility of Gauff’s service, who committed eight double faultsand left her out of the semifinals of a tournament held in the country for the first time.

The American was under pressure from the opening game, in which he saved two breaking balls. Although he returned Mertens’ first break blank to tie it at 3-3, the recovery was short-lived. The Belgian broke again immediately, confirmed her advantage without giving up a point and closed out a disputed ninth game on her fifth set point.

Gauff also found no relief after the break. Mertens won the first three games of the second set and he protected that difference with a first serve that barely left his rival any options, as he won sixteen of the seventeen points disputed with him.

The American avoided another break with 1-4but never threatened the Belgian’s service, which she sentenced on her second match point.

Mertens thus reached her first quarter of a WTA 1000 since Madrid 2021 and the first in Beijing in seven participations.

Her next rival will be Iga Swiatek (n.9)eighth seed and 2023 champion, who this Wednesday defeated the American Iva Jovic (n.13) 6-1 and 6-3.

The Pole resolved in one hour and 36 minutes on the hard court of the Diamond headquarters in Beijing, a match that she dominated from the beginning and in which she quelled the reaction of a rival who arrived with six consecutive victories.

Swiatek came out determined to avoid another wear and tear like the one suffered against Donna Vekic (n.40) in the previous round. He opened with a blank game and punished the rest of Jovic, whom he overwhelmed with winning forehands and attacks culminating in the net until he went ahead 5-0.

The American saved two set points to avoid the rosco, but was barely able to delay the outcome of a set that the Pole closed with her serve on her fifth opportunity.

The second set offered more resistance. Swiatek escaped again 2-0, although Jovic recovered from the break and he chained three games, the last after a sixteen-point battle in which he raised two threats on his service.

The reaction ended there. The Pole won the next four games, saved two break points when serving at 4-3 and sealed the rest on her first match point. His pressure on the second serve was decisive, as Jovic only won one of the twelve points played with him in that round.

Swiatek reached her thirty-first quarter of a WTA 1000 and stopped the recent champion of Guadalajara, where she defended the title against her compatriot Peyton Stearns.