Coco Gauff has advanced to the US Open quarter-finals after securing a decisive victory over fellow American Iva Jovic. The 22-year-old, who is chasing her second title at Flushing Meadows, defeated the teenage qualifier 6-1, 6-4 during a Labour Day evening match in New York.
Despite a shaky start that saw Gauff double-fault and lose her opening service game, she quickly regained her composure. Jovic, 18, showed signs of nerves as Gauff surged ahead to take the first set, racing through six consecutive games after the early break.
The second set followed a similar pattern of dominance. Although Jovic held serve to begin the frame, Gauff’s aggressive defensive plays allowed her to break at 3-2. After Jovic responded by holding, Gauff secured another break to love and closed out the match in one hour and 33 minutes without dropping a set throughout the tournament.
After the match, Gauff offered words of encouragement to her opponent. She praised Jovic’s maturity and talent, drawing parallels to her own early career. “Iva’s an incredible player, an incredible talent, she plays beyond her years,” Gauff said. “I think it’s just important getting her to know that she’s playing good-level tennis… I know that she will be in many more fourth rounds and quarters.”
The win sets up a quarter-final showdown against Mirra Andreeva, the French Open champion. Gauff holds a perfect 5-0 record against Andreeva in their career meetings, though she acknowledged the challenge posed by her opponent’s recent Grand Slam success. “She is obviously in a different mindset now at the top of the game coming off of a Grand Slam win,” Gauff noted.
With Gauff’s progression, the women’s draw is complete. Aryna Sabalenka is set to face Linda Noskova, while Jessica Pegula will play Emma Navarro. In the other semi-final qualifier match, Qinwen Zheng will take on Elena Rybakina.
Wait, is it true that Jessica Pegula plays Emma Navarro next? That should be a tight match.
Five-set winning streak against Andreeva is a huge advantage. The mental edge here is clear.
Straight sets victory! One hour and thirty-three minutes of quality tennis at Flushing Meadows.
Ivies just needs more time to adjust to the big stage. Gauff was right, she’ll be back.
Gauff’s composure after that shaky start was impressive. Can she really beat Andreeva though?