Gauff Beats Bencic, Clinches WTA Finals Spot

Coco Gauff staged a comeback to beat Belinda Bencic 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 in the China Open round of 16, keeping her Beijing title defence alive and clinching qualification for the WTA Finals. The match was overshadowed by a heated second-set changeover in which Bencic accused Gauff's coaching box of 'cheering' and playing 'mind games,' reportedly telling them to 'shut up.' Gauff said she hadn't initially heard the remarks, defended her team as respectful, called the spat 'petty' but admitted the annoyance helped her focus. Bencic visibly lost her composure—smashing a racket and arguing with the chair umpire—but the players shook hands after the match and Gauff said there were no lingering ill feelings, expressing respect for Bencic. Gauff will next face Eva Lys in the quarterfinals as she continues her defence in Beijing.