Coco Gauff is on the verge of qualifying for the WTA Finals after setting up a final with Karolina Muchova in Beijing.
The American toppled Paula Badosa 4-6 6-4 6-2 to reach the final after coming back from 4-2 down in the second set.
Gauff is bidding for a second title at WTA 1000 level as she is edging towards a place at the WTA Finals in Riyadh later this year.
Should Gauff qualify for the season ending finale, it would be the third consecutive year that the American would be amongst the top eight in the world.
Speaking after the match Gauff praised her ability to stay in the moment, “I was trying to stay in the moment,” Gauff told the WTA website.
“I was just trying to get on the scoreboard and keep trying to get points on the scoreboard. They turned into games.
“I feel like I was playing the right way the whole time, other than maybe a lot of double-faults. But other than that, I was playing the right way. Just missing sometimes. She was playing a very high level.”
Gauff will now take on Karolina Muchova in the final after the Czech Republican knocked out Olympic champion and home favourite Qinwen Zheng 6-3 6-4.
Muchova avenged her loss to Zheng in the Palermo final and will now face Gauff in a rematch of last year’s Cincinnati final which the American won in a tight three set match.
