Gauff quells Lys challenge, Anisimova beats Paolini to reach China Open semis

VIDEO SHOWS: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BEIJING OPEN QUARTER-FINALS BETWEEN COCO GAUFF AND EVA LYS AND JASMINE PAOLINI AND AMANDA ANISIMOVA  RESENDING WITH FULL SCRIPT  SHOWS: BEIJING, CHINA (OCTOBER 2, 2025) (WTA/DAZN – See restrictions) COCO GAUFF (WHITE SHIRT) V EVA LYS 1. PLAYERS AT COIN TOSS 2. DROPSHOT BY GAUFF ON HER WAY TO TAKING THE FIRST SET 3. LYS WINS RALLY WITH BACKHAND IN SECOND SET 4. GAUFF HITS CROSS COURT BACKHAND WINNER 5. LYS HITS BALL OUT, GAUFF WINS MATCH 6. PLAYERS AT NET 7. GAUFF WAVES TO CROWD JASMINE PAOLINI (WHITE SKIRT) V AMANDA ANISIMOVA  8. PLAYERS AT COIN TOSS 9. PAOLINI FOREHAND WINNER ON HER WAY TO TAKING THE FIRST SET 10. ANISIMOVA WINNER IN SECOND SET 11. ANISIMOVA BACKHAND WINNER IN THIRD SET 12. ANISIMOVA BREAKS SERVE TO LEAD 5-4 13. BACKHAND BY ANISIMOVA TO WIN MATCH 14. PLAYERS AT NET 15. ANISIMOVA WAVES TO CROWD STORY: Coco Gauff put down a spirited challenge from Eva Lys to earn a 6-3 6-4 victory on Thursday (October 2) and set up a China Open semi-final against fellow American Amanda Anisimova, who overcame a first-set stumble to beat Italy's Jasmine Paolini 6-7(4) 6-3 6-4.     Gauff, who is bidding to become the first woman to win back-to-back titles at the WTA 1000 event, had battled through three-setters in the previous two rounds and had to overcome stiff resistance from the 66th-ranked German.     It was a fast and furious start to the first set as both players fired off a string of winners and traded early breaks as the momentum swung wildly.     Following a run of five straight breaks of serve it was defending champion Gauff who finally seized control, taking a 5-3 lead when Lys sent a backhand wide and then consolidating to clinch the first set.     The world number three appeared to have found her range on serve in the second set and eased through a couple of holds, but a brief wobble and a few double-faults from the American added some late drama.     Serving for the match at 5-4, however, Gauff held her nerve to close out the win in an hour and 28 minutes.     World number four Anisimova, who was playing with a bandage on her ankle after pulling out of last month's Korea Open due to injury, was tested by Paolini in a battle that lasted two hours and 47 minutes.     A break in the seventh game handed Anisimova a chance to win the first set, but world number eight Paolini fought back from 5-3 down to force a tiebreak, where she held her nerve to take the lead in the contest.     But U.S. Open finalist Anisimova battled back in the second, taking a 4-0 lead which was enough to secure the set despite a late fightback by Paolini.     The Italian was on the verge of taking a crucial 5-3 lead in the third set, but Anisimova saved six break points in a marathon game to hold her serve.     Anisimova won the next two games to wrap up victory, reaching the semis and also qualifying for the WTA Finals, set for next month in Saudi Arabia, for the first time. (Production: Andy Ragg)

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