Coco Gauff labours into China Open round of 16 after battling Leylah Fernandez

Coco Gauff had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to get past Leylah Fernandez of Canada in a 2-hour, 45-minute marathon at the China Open tennis on Sunday (28 September).

World No. 3 Gauff managed to reach the last 16 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in Beijing, where she will next face the winner of Belinda Bencic-Priscilla Hon.

Defending champion Gauff did not help herself with nine double faults and allowing the 25th-ranked Fernandez to convert seven break points. She had never lost to the Canadian in there previous meetings.

Gauff, seeded second here, threw Fernandez a lifeline by failing to close out the second set. Even in the third the 21-year-old cut it close, allowing her opponent to even the score 5-5 despite being up by three games.

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