REACHING her seventh WTA Tour 1000 semi-final, Coco Gauff is running hot Beijing. The world number six ended the giant-killing run of Ukrainian qualifier Yuliia Starodubtsewa, after the 24-year-old reach the quarter finals of the China Open with some big wins under her belt.

It looked as though Gauff was going to be another scalp for the Ukrainian – who is ranked 115th in the world – after winning the first set 6-2 on Capital Group Diamond court. But, like every great player, Gauff found a way to get the match back on her terms, only dropping four games across the next two sets to win, 2-6 6-2 6-2 in an hour and 52 minutes.

“I was just trying to remember what we’ve been working on on the practice court,” Gauff said post-match. “It’s still a lot of things I’m adjusting to, so for me, it’s about trusting the process and focusing on that.

“Today, I can’t control how I play or how she plays, but I can just try to control my mindset and commit to the process.”

Gauff was inconsistent early with her serve again proving a problem, almost going a break down win the second set as well, before holding and then breaking to move 3-1 up. That gave her the confidence to go on with it, as the fourth seed stepped up to the plate.

She won 79 per cent of her first serve points, including 26 of 29 across the final two sets. She did not face a break point in the decider, and swatted away all four opportunities that Starodubtseva had in the second set, while converting two of three herself.

The world number six will now take on former world number three Paula Badosa who won in the other quarter final for the day, defeating Shuai Zhang 6-1 7-6, ending a four-game winning streak from the local hope who entered the tournament with a win-loss record of 0-8 for the year.

Looking like a demolition job early, Badosa only dropped four points off her serve and broke her opponent three times as Zhang only won six of 22 of her service games. In the end, Badosa raced to a 6-1 lead, before Zhang found her rhythm in the second set.

Though the Chinese veteran forced the Spaniard into a second set tiebreaker, it would not be enough, as Badosa closed out the match 6-1 7-6 in an hour and 23 minutes. The 35-year-old was pleased to get the win.

“She was playing very high level, not the ranking that shows or the dynamic she was going through. Also I knew she was playing with a home crowd, that’s always extra motivation,” Badosa said post-match.

“I started really strong with my ideas very clear and playing very aggressive. Everything was going my way. Second set, I think she raised her level. She was playing more aggressive and going more to net. At the end it was a battle that could have gone either way.”