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Gauff vs. Li: A Gritty Third-Round Showdown
18 Aug
Summary
- Coco Gauff, ranked World No. 4, overcame a first-set deficit to win her second-round match.
- Ann Li, World No. 29, secured a straight-sets victory in her second-round match.
- Gauff has won all three previous encounters against Li in straight sets.
Coco Gauff, the World No. 4 seed, navigated a tough second-round match at the Cincinnati Open on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. After losing the first set, Gauff demonstrated resilience to come back and secure a 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory against Liudmila Samsonova. This win propels her into the third round.
She is set to face fellow American Ann Li, ranked World No. 29. Li also received a bye and recorded a 7-5, 6-3 win over Zhang Shuai in her second-round match. Gauff's season record stands at 34-13, while Li's is 18-20 heading into their encounter.
Gauff and Li have met three times previously on the WTA Tour, with Gauff winning all encounters in straight sets. Gauff enters this match as the favorite, expected to leverage her athleticism and hard-court experience to counter Li's powerful groundstrokes. The prediction is for Gauff to win in straight sets.
