- Israel readying response to Iran missile attack
- Schutt, Mooney help Australia beat Sri Lanka in Women's T20 World Cup
- Liverpool extend Premier League lead with win at Palace
- Djokovic 'shakes rust off' to make third round of Shanghai Masters
- 'Imperfect' PSG fighting on all fronts - Luis Enrique
- Struggling Pakistan look to thwart adaptable England
- Child 'trampled to death' in asylum seekers' Channel crossing: minister
- Gauff fights back to set up Beijing final against Muchova
- Guardiola claims Premier League won't delay season for Man City
- Israel to mark October 7 attack as Gaza war spreads
- Gauff fights back to reach China Open final
- Recovering Stokes ruled out of first Pakistan Test
- Hezbollah battles troops on border as Israel pounds Lebanon
- Alcaraz, Sinner breeze into third round of Shanghai Masters
- Bagnaia wins Japan MotoGP sprint to cut Martin's lead
- Alcaraz breezes into third round of Shanghai Masters
- Gaza cultural heritage brought to light in Geneva
- 'Bullet for democracy': Trump returns to site of rally shooting
- Italy targets climate activists in 'anti-Gandhi' demo clampdown
- South Korean cult-horror series 'Hellbound' returns at BIFF
- Nepalis fear more floods as climate change melts glaciers
- Honduras arrests environmentalist's alleged murderer
- Padres pitcher Musgrove needs elbow surgery
- Supreme Court lets stand rules to curb mercury, methane emissions
- Boston beat Denver in NBA exhibition season opener, but Jokic says omens are good
- Chagos diaspora angry at lack of input on islands' fate
- Biden says 'not confident' of peaceful US election
- US trade chief defends tariff hikes when paired with investment
- Lukaku stars as Napoli beat Como to hold Serie A top spot
- Ohtani set for MLB playoff debut as Dodgers face Padres
- Pogba's drug ban cut to 18 months from four years
- Devine leads New Zealand to big win over India in Women's T20 World Cup
- Bosnia floods kill 16 people
- EU court blocks French ban on vegetable 'steak' labelling
- Prosecutors seek dismissal of rape charges against French rugby players
- Meta AI turns pictures into videos with sound
- Bolivia's Morales says claims he raped a minor are a 'lie'
- MLB Reds hire two-time champion Francona as manager
- Daniel Maldini receives first Italy call-up for Nations League
- US dockworkers return to ports after three-day strike
- Ancelotti points finger at Madrid's 'lack of intensity'
- Haiti reeling after 70 killed in gang attack
- Five Czech kids in hospital over TikTok 'piercing challenge'
- What happens next in Iran-Israel conflict?
- Country star Garth Brooks denies rape accusations
- Stubbs hits maiden century as South Africa make 343-4 against Ireland
- DR Congo to begin mpox vaccination campaign Saturday in east
- Odegaard injury has forced Arsenal to be 'different', says Arteta
- Ratcliffe refuses to guarantee Ten Hag's Man Utd future
- Meta must limit data use for targeted ads: EU court
Gauff fights back to set up Beijing final against Muchova
Coco Gauff fought back from a set down to battle into the China Open final on Saturday setting up a showdown with party-pooper Karolina Muchova.
The American former US Open champion beat Spain's Paula Badosa 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to close on an eighth title.
The 20-year-old faces Muchova after the 49th-ranked Czech silenced a capacity Beijing crowd to beat Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in straight sets.
Sixth-ranked Gauff has struggled for form in recent months and split with coach Brad Gilbert after her US Open defence ended in the last 16 in a blur of double-faults.
Gauff struggled again with her serve against Badosa, racking up 11 double-faults.
But she belatedly found a semblance of top form to down the former world number two in two hours, 20 minutes.
With a new coaching set-up in place, Gauff said that she had not really expected to be in the final.
"Has this week been my best tennis? In moments, yes," said Gauff, the youngest player to reach the China Open decider since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010.
"I think today I reached some levels where I was playing my best tennis. Obviously, that's not the case for the whole match."
The 19th-ranked Badosa broke in the fifth game of the first set as Gauff's problems with her serve resurfaced.
The eighth game was mammoth, with Gauff finally converting her eighth break point, and she celebrated by putting both arms in the air.
The jubilation was short-lived, as Badosa broke back immediately and sealed the set on her third set point when Gauff overhit a simple forehand return.
Badosa broke once more to start the second set and Gauff was in danger of losing her cool, whacking the sole of her foot with her racquet as she fell 2-0 down.
Gauff recovered her poise to twice break the Spaniard and take the set against a suddenly rattled Badosa.
It was the first set Badosa had dropped in Beijing and Gauff took that ascendancy into the deciding set as her opponent faded fast.
Gauff's only title of the year so far came in Auckland in January.
- Muchova ousts Zheng -
In the other semi-final, Muchova disappointed the 15,000 crowd to beat a subdued Zheng 6-3, 6-4.
The Czech is the lowest-ranked player to reach the Beijing final since the tournament began in 2004.
Last year's French Open finalist toppled top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals on Friday.
She eased through the first set against Paris gold medallist Zheng and was unrelenting in the second to ram home her advantage.
Serving to stay in the tournament, the 21-year-old Zheng dug deep to save two match points in the ninth game, but the reprieve was only very brief.
The 28-year-old Muchova was inside the top 10 this time last year but did not play for nearly 10 months after having wrist surgery.
She is pursuing only the second title of her career.
Gauff has won both their previous two meetings, most recently in the US Open semi-finals last year on the way to clinching her first major crown.
M.Gameiro--PC