Coco Gauff ends Caroline Wozniacki run to reach US Open quarter-finals for second time
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Updated 04/09/2023 at 09:34 GMT
World No. 10 Karolina Muchova continued her impressive 2023 form, following up a losing appearance in the final of the French Open against Iga Swiatek with a quarter-final tie against Sorana Cirstea. Later on Sunday in New York, Coco Gauff remained on course to win her first Grand Slam after she recorded a hard-fought victory over Caroline Wozniacki.
Highlights: Shelton lands 149mph serve in win, Gauff ends Wozniacki run
Coco Gauff defeated Caroline Wozniacki 6-3 3-6 6-1 to book her place in the fourth round of the US Open.
Wozniacki beat her first top-20 opponent since her return from retirement when she defeated Petra Kvitova on Wednesday, and followed that up with a win against American Jennifer Brady on Friday.
Gauff came from a set down to defeat Elise Mertens in her third-round clash, and will be hoping to go further than her quarter-final finish this time last year.
The 19-year-old is 14 years younger than her Danish opponent, and she was able to maintain her focus despite Hollywood director Spike Lee watching courtside.
Wozniacki fell behind in the early stages as the American won the first set 6-3, before the Dane levelled by the same score with Gauff unable to avoid a crucial unforced error, meaning the match would go the distance.
With the scores at 5-3 in Wozniacki's favour, Gauff told her coach Brad GIlbert to, "Please stop," as he offered her advice to help turn the tide.
Wozniacki then broke in the opening of the third set to mean Gauff had lost four consecutive games to leave her chances in peril, leading to Gauff aiming more criticism at Gilbert.
Gauff then came into her own in the decisive third set as she raced to a 6-1 winning margin after that wobble, and with the match complete her five aces to Wozniacki’s one demonstrated her superior power at the close.
After her win, Gauff said that it was an "honour" to play Wozniacki and discussed her father's nerves while she played, revealing: "My dad isn’t in the box anymore because he gets too nervous.
"He’s somewhere in one of the suites and he’s been apparently doing laps around the stadium. I don’t know if he can hear me right now, but I felt his good energy."
Speaking at her press conference, Wozniacki discussed how her approach to tennis had changed since her return.
She said: "It’s different. I had two kids. I want to be a good role model for them. I obviously want to be a good role model for the kids out there.
"But I’m also a competitor. I’m just out there to fight my hardest. I think I’ve always done that. I’m trying to do that with respect to my opponent and everything else. I wear many hats. But I just try to do my best wherever I am.”
Muchova works hard for win
Muchova defeated Xinyu Wang 6-3 5-7 6-1 as the No. 10 seed stayed on course for a second 2023 Grand Slam final.
Muchova lost last year in New York in the first round after battling with injuries, but now looks close to her best.
The 27-year-old Czech has emerged as a surprise contender for the tournament this month, and was a losing finalist against Iga Swiatek at Roland-Garros in Paris in June.
“I’m really glad I finished it and it’s over,” Muchova said on court after her win. “In the third set, I came to my game, to slice it more and change the rhythm - it was the key, actually."
She will play world No. 30 Sorana Cirstea in the quarter-finals on Tuesday after she defeated Belinda Bencic 6-3 6-3.
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