Gauff into US Open quarter-finals after ending Wozniacki’s run

AFP

American teenager Coco Gauff ended Caroline Wozniacki’s US Open comeback with a 6-3 3-6 6-1 victory to achieve the quarter-finals on Sunday.

The Dane, who returned to Flushing Meadows for the primary time since 2019 after popping out of retirement following the start of her two youngsters, saved sixth seed Gauff on her toes for 2 units however in the long run her lack of match apply caught up together with her and she or he ran out of steam.

The 19-year-old Gauff represents one of many United States’ brightest hopes on the yr’s closing main and she or he beat an opponent 14 years her senior by producing 33 winners.

“She definitely gets to a lot of balls… today I knew going in I had to play aggressive,” Gauff stated in an on-court interview.

“I have confidence in myself that I can go even further.”

She subsequent performs twentieth seed Jelena Ostapenko, who beat defending champion Iga Swiatek in three units on Sunday.

Gauff has been taking part in the very best tennis of her profession this season, choosing up titles in Washington and Cincinnati, and refused to let herself be rattled as she handed Wozniacki a break with an unforced error within the first recreation of the match.

She levelled the competition within the fourth recreation and broke Wozniacki to like within the eighth, because the Dane struggled together with her first serve and couldn’t match Gauff’s firepower.

But Gauff misplaced her edge utterly within the second set, the place the errors piled up and she or he was pressured to defend 5 break factors throughout her first three service video games.

She helped Wozniacki to the break within the eighth recreation with a pair of double faults and appeared irritated with members of her teaching employees.

Gauff handed the 2018 Australian Open champion one other break within the opening recreation of the third set when she whacked a backhand into the online however broke again within the subsequent recreation, displaying recent resolve.

The 2022 Roland Garros finalist ran away with the momentum from there, cheering triumphantly as she pressured Wozniacki right into a backhand error on match level.

“Getting it to 2-1 was the turning point,” stated Gauff. “I showed that I was still in the match after breaking back.”

Ticket holders would battle to search out two extra well-liked figures taking part in on the identical courtroom on the Open, with Wozniacki the sentimental choose and Gauff the charismatic American fan-favourite.

The duo additionally expressed their affection for one another whereas they hugged on the web and Gauff stated she was thrilled at an opportunity to play one among her childhood inspirations.

“Caroline, she’s back and it’s like she never left,” stated Gauff. “To be out here on the court with her today was an honour.”