American Coco Gauff, seeded second, took another step in defending her China Open tennis title by reaching the semifinals on Thursday.

Gauff overcame a tough match against Germany’s Eva Lys in the quarterfinals, winning 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 28 minutes.

The American player advanced to her fourth semifinal of 2025, marking her first appearance on clay courts since winning the WTA Finals title in Riyadh last year.

Gauff now holds an impressive record in Beijing with 14 wins and only one loss, reaching at least the semifinals in all three of her appearances so far. She became the first player to reach three consecutive semifinals in China since Jelena Janković achieved the same between 2006 and 2008.

Gauff aims to successfully defend her title for the second time in her career, after winning back-to-back titles at the Auckland tournament in 2023 and 2024. She will face her compatriot Amanda Anisimova, seeded third, in the semifinals.

After the match, Gauff said, “It was a tough competition, she hit amazing shots while running, I tried my best to stay confident and not rush when I was ahead.”

American Amanda Anisimova, seeded third, also qualified for the semifinals after defeating Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, seeded sixth, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-4.