Elise Mertens defeated Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-3 on October 7 to advance to the quarter-finals of the China Open in Beijing, ending a five-match losing streak to the American player. The Belgian, ranked world No. 19, will face eighth seed Iga Swiatek in the next round after Swiatek secured her spot with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over American teenager Iva Jovic.

Gauff, ranked world No. 4 and the highest-seeded player remaining in the women’s draw, struggled throughout the match, committing eight double faults and 34 unforced errors. She acknowledged that her performance was below her usual standard, citing fatigue and a lack of energy. “I just didn’t play well. I wasn’t moving well,” she said after the match. “There were a lot of things I didn’t do well. I thought Elise played well on the big points.”

Earlier in the tournament, Gauff spoke out about the racist abuse she received online following her second-round victory over China’s 16-year-old Sun Xinran. The incident drew significant attention after Gauff requested a replay of a point late in the first set, citing distraction caused by flickering LED lights on the stadium’s advertising hoardings. The crowd responded with boos, and the umpire agreed to replay the point, which Gauff ultimately won 7-5, 6-1. After the match, Gauff condemned the volume of racist comments directed at her on social media, saying the experience was “kind of draining.”

In a statement, the Women’s Tennis Association expressed concern over the racial abuse and affirmed its support for Gauff. Despite the criticism and the emotional toll, the American said she tried to disengage from the negativity by turning off her phone and focusing on her tennis.

Mertens, who ended her losing streak against Gauff in 78 minutes, praised her opponent as an “incredible player” and dedicated her victory to her coach and boyfriend, Christopher Heyman.

Elsewhere in the tournament, Swiatek reflected on her win against Jovic by noting the need to be more proactive and assertive in changing the course of rallies. In other matches, Chinese player Zheng Qinwen overcame Armenian Alina Charaeva in three sets, while Ukraine’s sixth seed Elina Svitolina was set to play American Ann Li, with the winner meeting Zheng in the quarter-finals.