Reigning Champion Gauff Progresses to Beijing Tournament Final Four.
Coco Gauff is the second seed in the tournament.
Reigning titleholder Coco Gauff overcame her German opponent in two sets to claim a spot in her third successive China Open last-four stage.
The third-ranked player took 88 minutes to defeat her German rival with a 6-3 6-4 result.
The American, a dual major champion, secured breaks against Leys three times in the opening set, converting three of her four chances to break.
"I'm pleased with how I played - she's a tough opponent and she produced some amazing strokes on the run, but I tried my best to play aggressive and good tennis," commented the champion.
"In my opinion maintaining belief in my game proved crucial. Avoiding being overly defensive when I was ahead, I made a single defensive play in the final game but after that I played strong tennis."
The 21-year-old, who has struggled with her serve at times this year, recorded an notable 79% first serve percentage during the contest.
The 21-year-old, who was eliminated in the first round of Wimbledon after claiming victory at the Roland-Garros earlier this year, is now the highest-ranked player left in the competition.
She will face one of Anisimova or Jasmine Paolini in the semi-finals.
