By the numbers: Gauff eases into Beijing fourth round

World No.6 Coco Gauff booked a spot in the fourth round of the China Open with a 7-5, 6-2 win over No.26 seed Katie Boulter on Sunday -- just one of six matches finished at the WTA 1000 tournament due to rain.

Beijing: Scores | Order of Play | Draws

But playing securely under the roof, Gauff came through a tight first set and eased to the finish in a straight-sets win over No.26 seed Boulter. She bounced back after losing a 5-2 lead in the first set -- eventually moving ahead by breaking Boulter on her third set point in the 12th game -- and won eight of the last 10 games. 

"I felt like I gave up two points in that game, so I was just trying to put it in the past," Gauff said post-match of the key 12th game. "Breaking for the set, I think is just one of those things where you don't have the pressure, I think serving for it you do, so I just tried to play each point.

"I thought I played well. I knew what I needed to do, so I tried my best to make the adjustments."

Some other key numbers from Gauff's triumph: 

2: Gauff is now 2-1 against Boulter in her career, having beaten her at two WTA 1000 events after losing their first meeting in 2021. 

4: Preaching pre-tournament that she and new coach Matt Daly were working to shore up her serve, Gauff recorded four holds at love in the match. Three of those were in the second set. 

5: Gauff also hit five aces in victory, landed 71% of her first serves, and won 73% of those points. Boulter did not hit an ace. 

7: Gauff is now through to the Round of 16 at a seventh WTA 1000 tournament this year.

11: The American's consistency also helped her win against Boulter. She struck just 11 unforced errors (to 12 winners), as Boulter racked up 24 mistakes. 

47: Since the introduction of the tournament level in 2009, Gauff now holds the most hard-court WTA 1000 match wins before turning 21, surpassing Caroline Wozniacki (46).

Gauff will next face the winner of the third-round match between Katie Volynets and Naomi Osaka, one of the matches that was rained out on Sunday. Gauff and Osaka are 2-2 against each other all-time, though they haven't played since 2022.

She has never played Volynets on tour, though the two Americans have known each other since Gauff was 10 years old, she estimates.