After a three-hour match against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine, Coco Gauff advanced to the Australian Open semifinals for the first time. After leading the US Open winner to the quarterfinals, Kostyuk, a first-time grand slam quarterfinalist, put up a fierce fight. Eventually, after three hours and eight minutes, the champion won 7-6 (6) 6-7 (3) 6-2.
After falling behind 5-1 in the first set, Gauff battled back to win it and save two set points.
It was Kostyuk’s time to rally, and it wasn’t until the third set that Gauff gained command of the match and built a 5-0 lead. In the second set, she served for the match at 5-3.
The 19-year-old is the youngest American to advance to the Melbourne women’s semifinals since Mary Joe Fernandez did it in 1991, and she is currently two victories away from winning back-to-back grand slam championships.
With the two players committing a total of 107 unforced mistakes, she will undoubtedly need to play at a consistently better level than this if she is to accomplish that.
“There was a fight,” Gauff remarked. “I didn’t play my greatest tennis today; I believe it was clearly a C game, but I’m incredibly proud of myself for finishing the match today. I hope to play even better now that the unpleasant match is over.
The 21-year-old Kostyuk was able to immediately contextualise the outcome, stating, “I think it’s just a tennis match.” I’m here to develop, to learn, to improve.
“I’m rather pleased with myself. In my opinion, the most significant outcome of the day was my personal victory. The season has only barely begun. I’m excited about what lies ahead.
Dayana Yastremska, a fellow countrywoman, and Kostyuk both advanced to the final eight; Yastremska may still advance; Elina Svitolina made it to the fourth round; all three have taken use of the occasion to draw attention to the continuous suffering of Ukraine.
Kostyuk remarked, “I think the girls did really well.” “I’m hoping we can win most of the competitions, particularly the major ones with lots of media coverage. I think it’s important to remind people.
“Someone from Kiev and I were texting each other. “How are things going?” I asked. How are all of you doing? “Well, we were examining the area between your score and the missiles’ flight path,” they stated. Thus, it still exists. My folks are still residing there. My sister is still present there.
