Coco Gauff has set up a mouthwatering clash with Naomi Osaka after her China Open win over Katie Boulter.
Gauff wants to be aggressive under Matt Daly, who she has hired as her new coach after parting ways with Brad Gilbert.
And the new duo got off to a winning start after the 20-year-old’s disappointing run at the US Open, where she failed to defend her title.
Gauff took in the Beijing sights with Carlos Alcaraz, before beating Clara Burel 7-5, 6-3 in her first China Open match.
That round of 64 win was followed by another straight sets victory for Gauff, with the American beating Boulter 7-5, 6-2.
Coco Gauff breaks WTA record with her latest China Open win
A round of 16 meeting with Osaka awaits in Beijing, with Gauff set to be full of confidence after breaking a WTA record in China.
According to OptaAce, Gauff now has 47 WTA-1000 match wins on hard courts before the age of 21, surpassing the 46 of Caroline Wozniacki.
Can Coco Gauff win the China Open under Matt Daly?
Gauff will be eager to go from strength to strength under Daly, who last worked with men’s star Denis Shapovalov.
But progressing in the China Open won’t be easy, with Osaka proving herself to be a real danger in Beijing.
Gauff does, however, simply need to focus on her own game, with the 20-year-old already looking strong under the guidance of Daly.
It is, of course, very early days in their partnership, but the American could quickly return to the player that won the US Open this time last year.
She is the fourth seed at the China Open, with first and second seeds Aryan Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula respectively also safely into the round of 16.
A victory for Gauff would send a real warning to her competitors, with the American surely desperate to clinch a second Grand Slam title.
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