USA’s Coco Gauff hits a return to Germany’s Eva Lys. AFP
The world number three next plays either fellow American Amanda Anisimova, the third seed in Beijing, or sixth-seeded Jasmine Paolini of Italy.
"I'm happy with how I played today," Gauff, seeded two, said. "She's a tough opponent.
"She hit some incredible shots off the run, so I was just trying my best to stay aggressive."
After an even start to the contest Gauff began to seize control, winning the first set when the German fired long.
"I think I maybe played one passive point in this game, but after that I think I played good tennis," Gauff added.
Lys stunned Elena Rybakina en route to the quarter-final for her first-ever top-10 win but downing the reigning French Open champion was a step too far.
The 23-year-old threw her racquet at one point in the second set after losing a chance to break, and though she stayed in it a bit longer, Gauff closed out in 1h 28mins, her shortest match yet of the tournament.
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
Short link: