Coco Gauff delivered a commanding performance on Friday, sweeping aside Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova 6-4, 6-0 to secure her place in the last 32 of the China Open as she begins her bid to defend her crown in Beijing.
The world number three from the United States will next face Canadian star Leylah Fernandez, who breezed past Greece’s Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-0.
“I think the mindset is a little bit different just because when you play well at a place, you have a lot of confidence,” Gauff reflected after the match. “When those tough moments happen, you feel the familiarity of the conditions from the years before that.”
Making her first appearance since the US Open, Gauff overcame early pressure in a drawn-out second game, saving four break points before leveling with a cross-court winner. She broke serve for a 4-3 lead, then carried her momentum to clinch the set despite Rakhimova’s resistance.
The reigning French Open champion dominated the second set from the start, breaking without dropping a point and quickly extending her lead. Gauff fended off three break points in the third game, frustrating the 89th-ranked Rakhimova, before racing to victory with relentless energy and precision.
“I expected it to be close,” Gauff told reporters. “She’s a great player, and she’s had competitive results with top players in the last few tournaments. I just found my rhythm and got in the flow. Nobody wants to lose first round, so I was just a little bit tight, but I was able to loosen up and I think that showed in the score.”
With world number one Aryna Sabalenka sidelined, Gauff’s biggest challenge in Beijing may come from world number two Iga Swiatek, who enters fresh from a title win in Seoul. Alongside the women’s event, a men’s ATP 500 tournament is also underway in Beijing.
What you should know
Coco Gauff, the defending China Open champion, dominated Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova to advance to the last 32 in Beijing.
The world number three next faces Canada’s Leylah Fernandez. With Aryna Sabalenka absent, her main rival could be Iga Swiatek, as Gauff seeks to build momentum after her US Open campaign.
