Coco Gauff explains what she has been focussing on with new coach Matt Daly after reaching the China Open semi-finals

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Coco Gauff survived a scare in the China Open quarter-finals against Ukrainian qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva.

The American faced an uphill battle as the same problems of old reared their head once again in her China Open quarter-final. 

Hitting seven double faults in the first set, Coco Gauff’s forehand also whipped through the court precariously.

Shocked to a 6-2 defeat in the opening set to Ukrainian qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva, who made history this year becoming the first Open Era player to qualify for all four grand slams, Gauff needed a boost if she was to get through. 

Muscling through the next two sets into the last four, Gauff leant mostly on her experience rather than a marked improvement.

Coco Gauff reveals what she has been focussing on with her new coach

Set to face either 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva – dreaming of a Gauff rematch – or Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng, the American won’t be able to get away with such a dip. 

Gauff parted ways with Brad Gilbert after 14 months and her first major title together after a disappointing summer concluding with an early exit at the US Open.

Now with new coach Matt Daly, Gauff shared exactly what she’s been prioritising in these early stages of her fresh partnership.

“I was just trying to remember what we’ve been working on on the practice court,” Gauff said to the WTA. “It’s still a lot of things I’m adjusting to, so for me, it’s about trusting the process and focusing on that.

“Today, I can’t control how I play or how she plays, but I can just try to control my mindset and commit to the process.”

Coco Gauff’s error-strewn displays are understandably still lingering

It would of course be bizarre for the 20-year-old to transform overnight.

However, with 11 double faults over the three sets on Thursday, she’s only eight short of the display that saw her dumped out of New York.

With Gauff’s first serve percentage at just 54%, the American also suffered on her second.

Winning just 15 of 36 second serve points, Gauff’s problems are persisting despite the coaching overhaul.

While as understandable as it is frustrating for Gauff, she may need to get her act together quickly if she’s to hustle her way to her second final of the year.