Gauff reaches Wuhan Open semifinals to face Paolini

Coco Gauff reached the semifinals of the Wuhan Open on Saturday, beating Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-0 at the Optics Valley International Tennis Center to extend a strong run in China after a disappointing week in Beijing. The No. 3 seed has rebounded from her China Open semifinal loss to Amanda Anisimova by producing consecutive convincing wins in Wuhan and will face Jasmine Paolini for a place in the final.

Gauff began her Wuhan campaign with a dominant straight-sets victory over qualifier Moyuka Uchijima, then beat hometown player Shuai Zhang 6-3, 6-2 in the round of 16. Her victory over Zhang finished late on Thursday, leaving her with a quick turnaround for Friday’s quarterfinal against Siegemund. Despite the condensed schedule, Gauff produced a near-flawless second set against the German to close out the match in straight sets.

The run has been notable for the improvement in Gauff’s service game and consistency after a turbulent hardcourt swing. She has worked with biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan this season, and her recent matches in Wuhan have shown fewer service lapses and a higher first-serve win rate than during previous events. Gauff said she was pleased with her...