By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, August 30, 2024
Defending champion Coco Gauff battled by Elina Svitolina 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 to score her 10th straight US Open win and reach the fourth round.
Photo credit: Jamie Squire/Getty
NEW YORK—A fleet of Cadillac Escalade SUVs parked outside Arthur Ashe Stadium are a reminder of the comings and goings of Grand Slam champions.
Seeing several former champions carted out of the tournament, reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff showed the drive to extend her stay.
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Fighting back from a set down, Gauff charged past Elina Svitolina 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 to reach the US Open fourth round for the third straight year.
“It means a lot,” Gauff told ESPN’s Mary Joe Fernandez afterward. “I knew today was going to be a tough match. Everytime I play Elina, she’s a fighter.
“I served much better than the last match except for the last game… She was playing well, she was playing aggressive, she was hitting her spots. I think the difference was me being more aggressive, especially at the end.”
It is Gauff’s 10th consecutive Flushing Meadows victory and her 60th career Grand Slam win.
Wearing an Olympics ring necklace, Gauff will try to sustain her roll playing compatriot Emma Navarro for a place in the quarterfinals.
The 13th-seeded Navarro defeated 19th-seeded Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 on Louis Armstrong Stadium. Navarro roared back from 1-3 down in the final set reeling off five games in a row to reach the US Open fourth round for the first time.
At Wimbledon last month, Navarro swept the second-seeded Gauff 6-4, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals where she lost to Jasmine Paolini.
"Obviously she's been having an incredible season and she's a tough player to play," Gauff said of Navarro. "Playing her will be tough.
"During Wimbledon I think mentally I got out of that match...I just want to stay mentally engaged in that whole match."
The 20-year-old Gauff, who has advanced to the round of 16 or better in her last five Grand Slam hit the practice court to work on her serve following her one ace, nine double fault performance in a 6-4, 6-0 win second-round win over Tatjana Maria. In that match, Gauff served only 44 percent.
Facing an accomplished returner in Svitolina today, Gauff served 53 percent and dropped 10 points on first serve. Gauff also maintained her racquet-head acceleration on her second serve, for the most part, though she squandered a 40-love triple match point lead when serving for the match.
Because of that stumble and some netted backhands, Gauff said she was heading back out to practice after today's win. Gauff improved her 2024 record to 41-14.
Former US Open champions Bianca Andreescu, Naomi Osaka, Sloane Stephens and Emma Raducanu were already bounced out of the field by the time Gauff walked on court to face the woman who knocked her out of the 2021 Australian Open.
Twelve minutes into the match, Gauff showed signs of stress. The defending champion netted a leaping smash and a backhand in succession to face double break point in game four.
The third seed slammed successive first serves over 116 mph to save both break points then dabbed a drop shot winner holding for 2-all.
“Height to her backhand,” coach Brad Gilbert told Gauff after that hold.
Serving at 2-3, Gauff double faulted on game point then missed a backhand long to end a 16-shot rally and face another break point. Smacking a 113 mph ace down the T, Gauff erased break point, eventually holding.
Arthur Ashe Stadium was completely packed as Svitolina staved off severe pressure, denying three break points to hold for 4-3.
Turning the screws in Gauff’s serve game again, Svitolina raced out to a triple break point lead. Though Svitolina was targeting the American’s frailer forehand wing at times, she was spreading the court cleverly and even drawing errors from the Gauff backhand.
Gauff dumped a backhand into net donating the break at love to fall into a 3-5 hole.
“So many into the net,” Gauff griped to her support box.
Svitolina slashed through the 43-minute opening set at love.
Though Gauff had a good look at taking charge when she had three break points at 3-all, the defending champion’s game deteriorated as her shots dipped. Svitolina streaked through 11 points in a row to build a one-set lead.
A sharp frontrunner, Svitolina was 24-2 when winning the first set in 2024. The Ukrainian continued to test the champion’s serve earning break point in the fifth game of set two.
Gauff dodged the break point when Svitolina sent a backhand down the line long. Gauff held firm for 3-2 when a Svitolina passing shot skipped off the tape and fell wide.
That stand sparked Gauff who snatched the momentum breaking at 30 for 4-2. Gauff was popping her first serve and eliciting errors as she backed up the break at 15 for 5-2.
Sliding her second ace out wide, Gauff closed the second set with a furious fist pump forcing a decider after one hour, 22 minutes of play. The entire Gauff box stood and saluted the champion taking this match into a final set.
Gauff’s legs helped her extend points and Svitolina was misfiring more often. Svitolina slapped a forehand into net as Gauff broke to start the final set.
Svitolina’s second serve diminished in the decider and Gauff took full advantage. In the final set, Gauff won 13 of 16 points played on Svitolina's second serve.
The defending champion rattled out a series of errors generating a 4-1 double-break lead at the one hour, 45-minute mark.
Though Gauff gained triple match point at 5-2, 40-love, a stubborn Svitolina staved off all three match points.
On her second match point, Gauff double faulted into net.
On match point No. 3 Svitolina cracked a clean backhand drive down the line. Gauff chipped a slice forehand but floated a lob long to face a break point.
Two hours into the match, Gauff saved break point only to trip a forehand off the net to face a second break point. Punishing a series of forehands, Svitolina spun one final forehand to break back for 3-5.
All that good work dissipated as Gauff came right back to earn match points on the Svitolina serve. On her fourth match point, Gauff ended a two hour, three-minutes win on a Svitolina netted forehand.