Overview

• Gauff edged Fernandez 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in Beijing to keep her title defense on track at the WTA 1000 event.
• After a second-set slip, she failed to serve out the decider before breaking in the 12th game to seal the win.
• She next faces either No. 16 seed Belinda Bencic or Australian qualifier Priscilla Hon for a place in the quarterfinals.
• The contest was described as long and highly physical, with Gauff saying she did what she needed to do to get through.
• Elsewhere, Eva Lys upset No. 10 Elena Rybakina, and McCartney Kessler advanced when Barbora Krejcikova retired; the tournament runs alongside an ATP 500 men’s event.