BEIJING - Paula Badosa will meet No 4 seed Coco Gauff of the United States in the women's singles semifinal at the China Open after the Spaniard prevailed over host player Zhang Shuai in straight sets on Thursday.

After losing the first set 6-1, veteran Zhang, in her 15th appearance in the tournament, intensified her attack and remained aggressive in the second set, which was dragged into a tiebreak. However, Badosa's powerful serve played a crucial role, as she managed to hit a total of 10 aces.

Despite the loss, Zhang still earned applause from the home crowd and her opponent. "I wanna say some words to Shuai. She is a good player and fighter. I know she went through a very bad time. She always smiles and even supports me. I told her that she shouldn't retire because her level is very, very high," said Badosa.

"Today was a great match. Paula played so well, especially in serve. I respect her so much because we both had a tough time in the last two years. I'm happy to see her back at the top," said 35-year-old Zhang.

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Ranked 595th in the world, Zhang has regained her form in Beijing, winning four consecutive matches to stop her 24-match losing streak in WTA singles events.

"I think I have to change the plan, not just focus on doubles. A lot of players and coaches told me I was still good and on the top level. I will listen to them and continue to try my best in every match," the wildcard player added.

Another quarterfinal on Thursday saw Gauff come from behind to defeat Ukrainian qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva 2-6, 6-2, 6-2, advancing to her second consecutive semifinal at the China Open. 

The 20-year-old American player is the youngest back-to-back semifinalist in the tournament since Maria Sharapova achieved the feat in 2004 and 2005, with her semifinal encounter with Badosa scheduled on Saturday.

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Also on Thursday, Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Liudmila Samsonova of Russia defeated Chinese pair Tang Qianhui and Yuan Yue in straight sets, advancing to the women's doubles semifinal.