Australian Open: Gauff Survives Kostyuk Test To Reach Semis
American tennis star Coco Gauff reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open for the first time on Tuesday.after beating Ukrainian world number 37 Marta Kostyuk 7-6(6) 6-7(3) 6-2, at the Rod Laver Arena.
Kostyuk got right in the American’s face from the off and stormed to a 5-1 lead, serving twice for the opening set as well holding a set point on Gauff’s serve. The American knew she was up against it and battled her way back into the contest by rattling off five successive games to serve for the set herself.
Kostyuk then 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.
A combination of Gauff’s frail second serve and Kostyuk’s ability to conjure up winners 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 by ramping up the pace of her first serve and backhand, but was broken when serving for the match for the second time.
The American finally got over the line at the third time of asking to move into a semi-final against either Aryna Sabalenka – a rematch of last year’s Flushing Meadows final – or Czech ninth seed Barbora Krejcikova.
See you in the semis 👏@cocogauff outlasts Kostyuk 7-6(6) 6-7(3) 6-2 and is still unbeaten in 2024!#AusOpen • #AO2024 pic.twitter.com/i2PP7Tqoyz
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 23, 2024
“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. “Yeah, I really fought and left it all out on the court today.”
“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.”
