Coco Gauff began her China Open title defence campaign by defeating Kamila Rakhimova,6-4, 6-0 on Friday [September 26] in Beijing.
It was a complicated start for the 21-year-old USA tennis star against the young debutant in the first set, as she faced four break points.
But Gauff dominated from that moment on.
After saving a few more break points at the start of the second set, she wrapped up the first-round encounter in just 44 minutes.
“I expected it to be close,” Gauff said after her first apperance since the US Open.
“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, I think, but I was able to loosen up and I think that showed in the score.”
Gauff’s next match will be against Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, the World No. 25 who beat Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-0.
After winning in Beijing last year, she reached the semi-finals in Wuhan, before topping the WTA Finals.