Beijing: Second seed Coco Gauff of the United States commenced her title defense at the China Open with a decisive 6-4, 6-0 victory over Russia's Kamilla Rakhimova. The 21-year-old American, currently ranked world No. 3, overcame a closely contested first set to secure the win in one hour and 42 minutes.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Gauff expressed her expectations of a competitive match, acknowledging Rakhimova's strong performances in recent tournaments. Despite initial tightness, Gauff managed to find her rhythm and dominate the match, particularly in the second set where she faced minimal resistance.

Gauff's journey this season has seen significant achievements, including reaching consecutive finals at the WTA 1000 events in Madrid and Rome, and capturing her second Grand Slam title at Roland Garros. However, she faced challenges during the summer, with early exits at Wimbledon and the US Open.

Reflecting on her return to Beijing, Gauff mentioned feeling less pressure and possessing confidence from her past successes at the venue. Her next opponent will be Canada's Leylah Fernandez, who advanced after defeating Greece's Maria Sakkari.

In other matches, American Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, secured her place in the next round by defeating Russia's Polina Kudermetova.