Gauff Survives, Swiatek And Sabelenka Win In Beijing; Rybakina v Andreeva

To increase her win streak to 14, Coco Gauff had to do it the hard way Tuesday in Beijing. The 19-year-old US Open champion was pushed to the broke in a three-hour marathon win over Petra Martic 7-5, 5-7, 7-6(7-2).

“Today the struggle for me was honestly holding serve,” Gauff said to the WTA. “I started off serving well in the first set. I think she started to be more aggressive with the return, so it made me second-guess myself.

“But overall I’m happy with today, it was a mental victory, and happy I was able to get through.”

The 32-year-old Martic twice had break leads in the third to start at 1-0 and then she tried to serve it out at 5-4.

The two combined for 15 double faults in the match and 12 breaks of serve.

Gauff will have a day off to recover and play doubles before a third round date with the in-form Veronika Kudermetova.

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka had to fight as well to Great Britain’s qualifier Katie Boulter 7-5, 7-6(7-2).

Sabalenka had eight aces and seven doubles, and was down a break late in both sets.

Second seed Iga Swiatek also won in straights downing Russia’s Varvara Gracheva 6-4, 6-1. Fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula overcame Anna Blinkova of Russia in a match that went the distance 6-7(2-7), 6-2, 6-1.

The 5th-seeded Elena Rybakina defeated 35-year-old German Tatjana Maria 7-5, 6-0. Rybakina will now meet 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva who breezed past her countrywoman Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 6-1.

“I wanted to play her actually. I like how she plays,” said Andreeva looking ahead. “I know she’s a good server. I will try to break her a few times, if possible. I will give my everything so there are no regrets. If I win then I’m super happy. If she wins it means she played some good tennis. But I’m excited for it.”

Andreeva is 0-3 against Top 10 players.

No. 6 seed Maria Sakkari topped teen Linda Fruhvirtova in straight sets 6-4, 6-2. The 16th-seeded Kudermetova eliminated the Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko in three sets 3-6, 6-0, 6-0 and Wang Xinyu stunned No. 11 Daria Kasatkina 6-4, 6-2.

In the upset of the day, Marta Kostyuk bounced Ningbo winner No. 7 Ons Jabeur 7-6(7-5), 6-1.

Also tomorrow, Swiatek gets countrywoman Madgda Linetti, Pegula plays No. 13 Jelena Ostapenko and Kostyuk collides with Liudmila Samsonova.

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