GAUFF DEFEATS SUN XINRAN AT CHINA OPEN AMID LET CALL DISPUTE

Coco Gauff beat Sun Xinran 7-5, 6-1 to reach the Round of 16 at the China Open, in a match marked by a disputed point late in the first set. With Sun leading 5-4 and holding a 15-30 advantage on the third point of the tenth game, Gauff requested a replay, saying she had been distracted by LED advertising boards at the side of the court. The request was granted, and Gauff won the replayed point before going on to win the game. Sun was seen in tears after the game and lost the next two games as Gauff took the first set. Gauff then won the one-sided second set, completing the match in one hour and 29 minutes.

Sun, who recently won the girls' title at the US Open, had been considered one of China's leading tennis talents and was playing in her home event in Beijing. She had defeated Eva Lys 6-1, 3-0 after Lys retired mid-match, then beaten Cristina Bucsa 6-4, 7-5 in the Round of 64. Gauff, ranked World No. 4, faced criticism after the match, with some fans accusing her of gaining an unfair advantage through the disputed call. Gauff said on social media that she had also received racist comments over the incident.

Gauff defended her conduct, writing on X that she had followed the rules rather than acted unfairly. "It was an unfortunate situation but it is out of my control, the think pieces and calling me an unfair is ridiculous when those are the rules," she wrote, adding that she had not made the rules and found it "weird" to receive criticism for following them. Gauff progresses to the Round of 16 at the China Open, where she is set to face a further opponent in the tournament.