How Coco Gauff Can Beat Jelena Ostapenko within the U.S. Open Quarterfinals

Coco Gauff, a 19-year-old American who has had an impressive summer time, will tackle Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia within the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open on Tuesday.

The two have performed twice earlier than, with Ostapenko successful their most up-to-date encounter, on the Australian Open in January. Ostapenko beat Gauff in straight units in a fourth-round match. But of their first assembly, in 2019, Gauff defeated Ostapenko in three units within the ultimate of the Linz Open in Austria.

Gauff, who’s seeded sixth, has the benefit of enjoying in her residence nation’s Grand Slam match and the added confidence from successful the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., and the Western & Southern Open in Ohio up to now month. But Ostapenko, seeded twentieth, can also be on a tear: She eradicated Iga Swiatek, the defending champion and world No. 1, on Sunday evening.

Here’s what to know in regards to the match.

How did they get right here?

Gauff defeated Laura Siegemund, a difficult participant from Germany, within the first spherical. Siegemund hit slices and drop photographs, catching Gauff on her again foot, and gained the primary set. But Gauff gained the match in three units after enjoying extra aggressively.

Gauff additionally defeated Mirra Andreeva, a 16-year-old from Russia; Elise Mertens of Belgium; and Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, who lately returned to skilled tennis after retiring in 2020.

Ostapenko notably defeated Swiatek, who will lose her No. 1 rating on the finish of the Open, in a fourth-round match. Ostapenko is likely one of the few gamers who’ve overwhelmed Swiatek persistently. Her win on Sunday was the fourth in a row towards her.

On her strategy to the quarterfinals, Ostapenko additionally defeated Jasmine Paolini of Italy, Elina Avanesyan of Russia and Bernarda Pera, who was born in Croatia however represents the United States. Each of these matches went three units.

Beware of Ostapenko’s aggression.

Ostapenko’s aggressive recreation is constructed on enjoying quick and with numerous energy. She credited that enjoying fashion for her capacity to persistently defeat Swiatek, who appreciates having extra time to arrange her factors.

Sometimes that aggressive recreation works towards her, and she or he racks up unforced errors. She had 20 unforced errors within the match towards Swiatek. Gauff acknowledges that. On Sunday, she known as Ostapenko a “striker,” however “hot or cold, to be honest.”

For Ostapenko’s half, she’s attempting to be extra selective of when she goes for her photographs.

Keep a watch on Gauff’s internet recreation.

Gauff, who is likely one of the quickest gamers on the tour, is not any stranger to highly effective photographs, being able to trace down balls and to hit them again with the identical energy, or extra. Gauff responds properly to highly effective photographs from the baseline, ready till she has a gap to hurry the web and put away factors with overheads, swing volleys and volleys.

Gauff serves with precision, at instances making it tough for her opponents to place their rackets on the ball to return it properly, as spectators noticed in Gauff’s fourth-round match towards Wozniacki.

But it’s well-known that Gauff’s forehand has been her weaker shot, and whereas she has been working exhausting to enhance it along with her new coach, Brad Gilbert, if an opponent can pressure errors on that wing, it will probably make a win for Gauff that rather more tough.

Gauff has been right here earlier than.

This is Gauff’s second time within the quarterfinals on the U.S. Open. She additionally made them final 12 months, when she was defeated in straight units by Caroline Garcia of France.

While that is additionally the second time Ostapenko has been within the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open, she made the quarterfinals of the Australian Open this 12 months and has made deeper runs in different Grand Slam tournaments. She was a semifinalist at Wimbledon in 2018 and gained the 2017 French Open.

There is pleasure for the American women and men proper now, and the gang might be in Gauff’s nook. At least one American man will make it to the semifinals this 12 months as a result of Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton are enjoying one another in one of many quarterfinals. Taylor Fritz, who’s enjoying Novak Djokovic, might make it two.

“It’s nice to just see the competitiveness between the countrymen and us all doing well,” Gauff mentioned in an interview on Sunday. “It’s just really exciting tennis for America. I hope that fans are excited.”

Sorana Cirstea or Karolina Muchova await.

The winner of the match will play Thirtieth-seeded Sorana Cirstea of Romania or Tenth-seeded Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic, who’re additionally enjoying on Tuesday.