Serena Williams Tips coco gauf for the Australian Open title
Coco Gauff came through a gruelling three-hour contest against Marta Kostyuk to reach her first Australian Open semi-final; US Open champion is attempting to win a second successive Grand Slam; Gauff will face Aryna Sabalenka next in a repeat of their Flushing Meadows finalGauff, playing her final Grand Slam as a teenager, had swept into the last eight on a nine-match winning streak. But Kostyuk got right in the American’s face from the off, storming into a 5-1 lead, serving twice for the opening set as well holding a set point on Gauff’s serve.
Coco Gauff will face defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in her first Australian Open semi-final after coming through a huge test against Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk.
The fourth-seeded American, who won the US Open last September for her maiden Grand Slam title, prevailed 7-6 (8-6) 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 against the world No 37.
The 19-year-old will rarely play as badly and still progress but prevailed after more than three hours on a blistering hot Rod Laver Arena to fulfil her coach Brad Gilbert’s famous maxim by “Winning Ugly”.
“I’m really proud of the fight I showed today, Marta’s a tough opponent, every time we play it’s a tough match,” Gauff said.Gauff knew she was up against it and, problem-solving on her feet, battled her way back into the contest by rattling off five successive games to serve for the set herself.”I was just trying to get one more game in the first set and make it more competitive, then one game turned into another and I was able to win that set,” Gauff added.
Gauff vs Kostyuk: Match stats
Gauff Match Stats Kostyuk
1 Aces 2
9 Double Faults 8
59% 1st serve win percentage 54%
39% 2nd serve win percentage 41%
16/26 Net points won 13/19
9/22 Break points won 7/14
17 Total winners 39
51 Unforced errors 56
126 Total points won 120
Kostyuk had been looking increasingly frequently at her coach as her confidence waned but she earned three break points off Gauff’s forehand and forced the tiebreak when the American double-faulted.
The Ukrainian was revived by treatment on blisters on her feet before the tiebreak but blew her second set point, allowing Gauff to come racing into the net to go a set up.
The players traded breaks throughout a second set featuring some lengthy rallies but it was Gauff who was able to edge ahead and serve for the match at 5-3.Again, however, a combination of Gauff’s frail second serve and Kostyuk’s ability to conjure up winners – she fired 39 across the contest — allowed the Ukrainian to get back on serve and then level up the contest at one-set all.
Gauff found the fix as Kostyuk tired in the third set, ramping up the pace of her first serve and backhand. She was broken when serving for the match for the second time, before finally getting over the line.
