(In Pictures) Belinda Bencic and Coco Gauff Engage in a Huge Spat During Their China Open Clash

Coco Gauff to face Germany's Eva Lys in the quarter-finals of the China Open after beating Belinda Bencic.

(In Pictures) Belinda Bencic and Coco Gauff Engage in a Huge Spat During Their China Open Clash

Coco Gauff and Belinda Bencic were engaged in a heated spat (via X/Tennis Channel/The Tennis Letter/Christians Court)

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Belinda Bencic got into an argument with Coco Gauff during their round of 16 clash at the China Open. The Olympic gold-medalist accused Gauff of playing mind games during the second set of their clash in Beijing. However, Gauff produced a stunning comeback to beat Bencic and progress to the quarter-finals.

Bencic began her clash with Gauff with determination and eagerness, pushing the American star deep into her baseline on the court. The Swiss star had beaten the American at the Indian Wells in March, coming from a set down to stun Gauff in the round of 16. But in Beijing, she broke Gauff twice to lead the match 6-4 after a very tough first set.

The second set kicked off in the same fashion but after Bencic led 3-2, she began to grow frustrated with a fan in the crowd. The Swiss star’s frustration made Gauff tell her that the stadium was half empty and the crowd had been respectful. But that didn’t sit well with Bencic, despite her breaking the American star and going up 6-4, 4-3.

During the changeover, Bencic reacted to their first heated argument, expressing her frustration with Gauff’s coaching team. The Swiss player then argued that Gauff was playing mind games with her on the court. She first said to the umpire:

I’m going to the line, ready to serve, they don’t need to cheer.

Then Gauff interjected, but the mic didn’t get her comments. Bencic replied:

No one’s talking to you. She’s talking to me, okay! Your team is chatting. I’m too old for these mind games, okay?

Gauff then replied:

You’re the one playing the mind games.

Gauff recovered well after the changeover and broke Bencic immediately, forcing the match to a tiebreak. She was down 1-3 in the tiebreak but recovered in time to win six of the remaining seven points and force the match to a deciding set. In the third set, Gauff’s work with her new biomechanical coach, Gavin MacMillan, began to pay off.

She registered an excellent performance on first-serve points during the contest against Bencic. Gauff hit 75 percent of her first serve, winning 73 percent of those points. She went on to win 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 to reach her second consecutive China Open quarter-finals.

Coco Gauff grateful to the nice Chinese crowd after securing a place in the quarter-finals in Beijing

Coco Gauff is aiming to win her second title of the season at the China Open in Beijing. The former World No.2 qualified for the WTA Finals for the third consecutive season after beating Belinda Bencic in three sets. She will face Germany’s Eva Lys in the quarter-finals, and it will be their first-ever meeting on tour.

Coco Gauff (via X/Jose Morgado)
Coco Gauff (via X/Jose Morgado)

During Gauff’s post-match press conference in Beijing, she was asked how she has been feeling since the start of the WTA 1000 tournament. The French Open champion revealed that the Chinese crowd has been very welcoming:

It’s more gifts than I’ve gotten on Christmas, and I was a pretty spoiled kid. It’s just insane. Every day I’ve woken up here, I definitely feel that gratefulness. Now I want to take that more on the road. I don’t know if I’ll get as many gifts elsewhere in the world. I hope the western side of the world can be as nice as the Chinese fans are with the gift-giving because I love gifts.

Should Gauff beat Eva Lys in the quarter-finals of the China Open, she will face either Jasmine Paolini or Amanda Anisimova in the last four. The American star is seeking to defend her title, but World No. 2 and Korean Open champion Iga Swiatek is the favorite to win the trophy due to her strong form coming into the tournament.

Also Read: (Video) Lorenzo Musetti Gets Booed After Retiring from an Injury at the China Open