American Coco Gauff secured her place in the US Open semifinals on Wednesday after a hard-fought victory over Russian fifth seed Mirra Andreeva. Gauff, the 2023 champion, overcame a difficult start to win the match 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2. The victory was defined by her resilience, as she saved two match points during a tense second-set tiebreak before eventually closing out the contest with a decisive forehand strike.
The match began with Andreeva dominating the play at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Russian sprinted to an early lead, winning the first four games and keeping her unforced error count to just five, compared to 14 from Gauff. Reflecting on her sluggish start, Gauff admitted, “I just had to reset. I came out not feeling the ball, giving her too many free points.” She noted that she drew inspiration from compatriot Frances Tiafoe, who had staged his own comeback victory the previous night.
Gauff’s turnaround began in the second set, though she faced further adversity while serving for the set in the ninth game, where three double faults allowed Andreeva back into contention. Undeterred, Gauff regained her composure and won a grueling 39-shot rally. She successfully saved two match points during the tiebreak, eventually forcing a decider with a precise forehand winner to the corner.
The momentum shifted decisively in the third set. Andreeva’s frustration became evident when she tossed her racket toward her bench after losing her serve in the third game. Gauff capitalized on this, breaking her opponent to love in the seventh game to pull away for good. “The motto of the match was just to fight,” Gauff said following the win, dropping her racket in relief as the match concluded.
Looking ahead, Gauff faces a significant challenge in the semifinals against second seed Elena Rybakina. Rybakina, who recently ascended to the world number one ranking, earned her spot in the final four after defeating China’s Zheng Qinwen earlier on Wednesday. The two players have split their previous career meetings, with Rybakina winning their most recent encounter in the Toronto semifinals last month.
Gauff remains optimistic about the upcoming showdown. “Elena – she’s the new world number one so it’s going to be a tough match,” she acknowledged. “I’m looking forward to the battle. These are the moments you live for.” The report also notes that the 2023 champion had none of her usual firepower at first and was on the ropes in the tiebreak before she flipped the script and closed out the match with a forehand strike, dropping her racket to the court in joy and.
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