Elise Mertens finally overcame Coco Gauff in their sixth meeting, winning 6-3, 6-3 in the fourth round of the China Open. The 13th seed's victory allows her to progress to her first quarterfinal in Beijing after seven appearances.
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Before this match, Mertens had a rough 0-5 record against Gauff but had come close in previous encounters. In 2021, she led Gauff 6-0, 3-1 before ultimately losing. Earlier this year, Mertens had three match points against Gauff in Dubai but could not secure the win.
In this match, Mertens showcased her skills by winning 10 of her last 11 service points and finished with her second ace, marking her first straight-sets victory of the tournament. Previously, she had to battle in her earlier rounds, needing three sets to defeat both Katie Volynets and Jelena Ostapenko.
After the win, Mertens shared that she had extra motivation, dedicating the victory to her coach and boyfriend, Christopher Heyman, whose birthday is the following day. Gauff struggled during the match, accumulating 34 unforced errors, including eight double faults, and expressed feeling depleted during the second set.
This win marks Mertens’ 10th career victory over a Top 5 player and her second such win in 2023, having previously defeated Elena Rybakina at Wimbledon. Mertens will face Iga Swiatek, the 2023 champion and eighth seed, in the quarterfinals, seeking her first semifinal appearance at the WTA 1000 level since Dubai 2021.