Home / Sports / Fernandez Pushes Gauff to the Brink in Thrilling China Open Clash
Fernandez Pushes Gauff to the Brink in Thrilling China Open Clash
30 Sep
Summary
- Fernandez took defending champion Gauff the distance in a marathon 3-set match
- Fernandez erased a 2-5 deficit and saved a match point before ultimately losing
- Gauff acknowledged Fernandez's impressive performance and increased aggression
On September 30th, 2025, Filipino Canadian tennis star Leylah Fernandez reminded the world of her fighting spirit at the China Open in Beijing. In a thrilling third-round showdown, the 22-year-old took defending champion Coco Gauff, the world No. 2, the distance in a marathon match that lasted 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Although Fernandez ultimately fell 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, her performance was one of her best against Gauff, who had never dropped a set to her in previous encounters. Fernandez turned what could have been a routine win for Gauff into a nail-biting thriller on the Diamond Court.
After conceding the opening set, Fernandez fought back with renewed aggression, dictating rallies and striking the ball cleanly to level the match. In the decider, she erased a 2-5 deficit and even saved a match point before ultimately yielding to Gauff's consistency.
Gauff herself acknowledged the quality of Fernandez's play, saying, "She definitely played great tennis. She was being aggressive, striking the ball pretty well. She wasn't really giving me much free points either. I could tell she stepped up the aggressiveness in the second."
