Defending champion Coco Gauff cruised into the semifinals of the China Open with a dominant 6-3, 6-4 win over Germany's Eva Lys, in Beijing, on Thursday.
The second-seeded American will meet compatriot and US Open finalist Amanda Anisimova in her third straight semifinal appearance in the tournament.
The first set saw a keenly contested battle as both players traded early breaks with the 66th ranked German, in search of her first WTA title, delivering a spirited performance.
"She's a tough opponent, she hit some incredible shots on the run," said Gauff after winning the match in one hour and 28 minutes.
"I was trying my best to stay aggressive. Just staying confident in my game and not being too passive."
Earlier, the third-seeded Anisimova rallied to down sixth-seeded Jasmine Paolini 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-4 in a battle that lasted close to three hours.
Paolini took a 3-0 lead before Anisimova fought back to force a tie-break. In the tie-breaker, the World No. 8 Italian held her nerve to pocket the first set.
In the second set, Anisimova broke early and went 4-1 up and sealed the set on serve.
In the decider, she trailed 4-3, but saved six break points to hold her serve despite going 40-15 down.
Anisimova, ranked 4th in the world, went on to clinch the next two games to wrap up the match in two hours and 47 minutes.