In a thrilling upset at the WTA Berlin Open, Chinese mainland qualifier Wang Xinyu dismantled the reigning French Open champion and World No. 2 Coco Gauff, 6-3, 6-3, to reach the quarterfinals on Thursday.
After suffering a 6-0, 6-4 defeat to Gauff in their only prior meeting at Berlin in 2022, Wang came back stronger. She shattered Gauff's 11-match winning streak over players from the Chinese mainland and avenged her Italian Open semifinal loss to Zheng Qinwen last month.
The match swung in Wang's favor early. Facing a break chance in Gauff's first service game, she regained momentum at 3-2, riding a four-game streak to clinch the first set. The second set mirrored the same drama: trailing 3-1, Wang rallied to seal five straight games, sealing the win in just 1 hour and 27 minutes.
Match Highlights
- First-serve success: Wang landed 68% of her first serves, compared to Gauff's 60%.
- Break points converted: 3/7 for Wang, 1/4 for Gauff.
- Winners vs unforced errors: Wang 22/18, Gauff 24/22.
Wang called it a tough match and expressed happiness at overcoming the pressure. She said facing Paula Badosa next will be a challenge, but she's excited to play in front of fans from the Chinese mainland.
Up next, Wang faces former World No. 2 Paula Badosa, who has been in fine form on the grass courts this season.
Reference(s):
Wang Xinyu stuns French Open champion Coco Gauff at Berlin Open
cgtn.com
