American Teenager Overcomes Danish Veteran in Thrilling Three-Setter
New York, American teenage sensation Coco Gauff showcased her remarkable talent by clinching a hard-fought victory over Caroline Wozniacki at the U.S. Open on Sunday. Gauff secured her spot in the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 triumph in a thrilling match.
Wozniacki, making her return to Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2019 after coming out of retirement following the birth of her two children, gave Gauff a challenging test in the first two sets. However, the lack of match practice ultimately took its toll, and she ran out of steam in the decider.
The 19-year-old Gauff, the sixth seed, continued to be one of the United States’ brightest tennis prospects, displaying exceptional skills with 33 winners in the match. In an on-court interview, Gauff acknowledged Wozniacki’s defensive prowess, stating, “She definitely gets to a lot of balls… today I knew going in I had to play aggressive. I have confidence in myself that I can go even further.”
In the quarter-finals, Gauff is set to face the 20th seed, Jelena Ostapenko, who recently defeated the defending champion, Iga Swiatek, in a hard-fought three-set battle.
Throughout the match, Gauff demonstrated the best tennis of her career this season, which included titles in Washington and Cincinnati. She began the encounter by losing her serve in the first game due to an unforced error but swiftly leveled the contest in the fourth game. Gauff then broke Wozniacki to love in the eighth game, capitalizing on the Dane’s struggles with her first serve and inability to match Gauff’s firepower.
However, Gauff experienced a dip in the second set, with mistakes accumulating, and she had to fend off five break points in her first three service games. Frustration crept in as she handed Wozniacki a break in the eighth game with a pair of double faults.
The third set witnessed a resurgence of determination from Gauff, who, after conceding an early break, immediately broke back in the next game. From there, she seized momentum and secured the victory, closing the match with a triumphant forcing of a backhand error from Wozniacki on match point.
Gauff described the pivotal moment as, “Getting it to 2-1 was the turning point. I showed that I was still in the match after breaking back.”
Both Gauff and Wozniacki are beloved figures on the court, with Wozniacki holding a special place in the hearts of many as the sentimental favorite, while Gauff is celebrated as the charismatic American fan-favorite. The mutual affection between the two was evident as they embraced at the net, and Gauff expressed her delight at playing against one of her childhood inspirations, saying, “Caroline, she’s back, and it’s like she never left. To be out here on the court with her today was an honor.”
