Ominous Coco Gauff embracing adulthood as she steps up in Australia
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Coco Gauff has been in red-hot form and is yet to drop a set.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MELBOURNE – Coco Gauff said she was enjoying “learning adulthood” after showing poise and determination to storm into a first Australian Open quarter-final on Jan 21.
The 19-year-old fourth seed was again in the zone to race past unseeded Magdalena Frech 6-1, 6-2 in just 63 minutes on Rod Laver Arena as she zeroes in on a second Grand Slam title.
The US Open champion, who had never progressed beyond the fourth round at Melbourne Park in four previous attempts, has been in red-hot form and is yet to drop a set.
She is now on a nine-match winning streak following her title run at Auckland and will meet Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, who beat Maria Timofeeva 6-2, 6-1, for a place in the semi-finals.
Gauff made her Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon as a 15-year-old, and it has been a learning process ever since, guided by her parents.
But she is now starting to take charge of her own destiny, on and off the court.
“As each season goes, I’ve definitely been more vocal about what I want on and off the court,” she said.
“At first, like 15, 16, my parents were doing a lot of it for me just so I could focus on tennis. Now I’m moving into more of the role. I’m getting older, having to make more decisions, all of that, on and off court. I know myself pretty well. I know what I need to do to succeed. But not every single thing, that’s why we have coaches and people who advise me.
“It’s definitely been a process with each year. Adulthood is something I’m really enjoying learning. I’m not completely there, but every year I think I’m getting better and better at it.”
With seven of the women’s top-10 seeds knocked out in the first week, Gauff has a chance to add to her US Open title, with a potential showdown against defending champion Aryna Sabalenka looming in the semi-finals.
She wasted no time letting Frech know who was in charge, breaking her opponent in her opening service game with a forehand winner and breaking twice more as she romped through the set in just 26 minutes.
The American won 17 of 22 points from the baseline, and all four at the net.
She continued in the same vein in set 2, breaking for 3-1 and never relenting to charge home.
Despite the ease of her progress into the last eight, Gauff said she did not feel “uncooked”.
“US Open I did play higher-ranked people earlier. That’s also another reason why I had so many long matches,” she said.
“It doesn’t feel different. I know when it comes to crunch time, if I have a long match the round before or not, I’ll still compete the same and still feel just as sharp.”
Ominously, world No. 2 Sabalenka warned on Jan 21 she is stronger now than when she won her maiden Grand Slam in Australia.
The Belarusian was in total control against unseeded American Amanda Anisimova on Margaret Court Arena, blazing home 6-3, 6-2 in 70 minutes to make the quarter-finals.
Sabalenka has dropped a scant 11 games in her four matches and with top seed Iga Swiatek out of the tournament,
Should she do so, she will be the first woman to retain the title since compatriot Victoria Azarenka completed the feat in 2013.
“I think I feel stronger than last year. So far I feel good. Hopefully I just can keep it up,” said the 25-year-old, who has embraced her status as the reigning champion in Melbourne.
“I’m getting stronger because I enjoy the atmosphere and I really want to stay here as long as I can, till the very last day.”
She is the first player to win 11 consecutive matches at the Australian Open since Serena Williams between 2017 and 2019. Williams did not play at the tournament in 2018.
Sabalenka also became the youngest player to reach six consecutive women’s Grand Slam quarter-finals since Amelie Mauresmo, who achieved the feat between the 2003 US Open and 2005 Australian Open.
Next up for her is Barbora Krejcikova, who ended the dream run of 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva.
Andreeva hammered sixth seed Ons Jabeur
But she ran out of road in her last-16 tie on John Cain Arena against her Czech opponent, who lost the first set for the third time at the tournament before coming through 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
“I’m fighting,” said Krejcikova, who had lost her previous two matches against the young Russian. “I’m just trying to give my best and go for every single ball.
“I think I was really improving with every single ball and I was going for it point by point.” AFP, REUTERS
