Coco Gauff clinches place in US Open quarter-finals against Caroline Garcia with brilliant display to beat Zhang Shaui

ByEurosport

Updated 05/09/2022 at 06:53 GMT

Coco Gauff continued her impressive form to see off Zhang Shaui 7-5 7-5, claiming her place in the US Open for the first time. Backed by a raucous home crowd, the 12th seed performed fantastically to beat her 33-year-old opponent in straight sets on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Gauff sealed the first set in 57 minutes, but she had to dig deep to take the second set. She next faces Caroline Garcia.

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Coco Gauff is through to the US Open quarter-finals for the first time following a thrilling 7-5 7-5 victory over Zhang Shuai on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The 12th seed produced a brilliant display in front of a raucous home crowd, sealing the first set in 55 minutes with a brilliant winner up the line after breaking Zhang three times in an absorbing battle.

It looked like Zhang would take the match to a decider when she broke Gauff at 5-3, but the 18-year-old broke back immediately and took the next three games to book her place in the last eight.

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She will next face in-form 17th seed Caroline Garcia after she beat Alison Riske 6-4 6-1.

A delighted Gauff beamed afterwards: "An entire stadium chanting my name. I was trying not to smile on my bench at the last changeover. I was trying to stay in the moment.

"In my head I was smiling. I can't believe you guys were chanting like that. That was crazy."

In the opening set the roof was open before it was closed in the second. Asked which she preferred and if she had to make any adjustments to her game, Gauff responded: "Well, the first two games, I think were tough because of the changing of the lighting, and it's a lot more humid in here when the roof is closed.

"But honestly it doesn't really matter to be honest. The conditions felt the same other than the humidity. But I guess maybe the roof is closed is better for me if it's more humid because I feel like with my fitness and training - I'm from Florida - so the hotter the better."

In a meeting between the youngest player left in the draw – 18-year-old Gauff - and the oldest player left in the draw – 33-year-old Zhang – it was the latter who started brighter.

After a lengthy hold to open the match, Zhang converted her third break point in the next game to move 2-0 ahead.

Gauff hit straight back after getting to 15-40 on the Zhang serve and then escaped from the same scoreline on her own serve to level at 2-2.

The momentum continued to go back and forth in a high-quality set.

Eventually, though, it was Gauff who won three games in a row to take it in 55 minutes.

Still Gauff couldn’t shake Zhang in the second set and the American needed to find a brilliant backhand winner to save an early break point.

Gauff then had the crowd in Ashe on their feet as she raced to the net to recover a drop shot and flicked a forehand winner past Zhang.

As the rain pounded down on the closed roof, Zhang continued to look for a way through Gauff’s defence.

Gauff won a 16-shot rally to earn a break point at 2-2 but went long with a forehand.

The teenager then fell 15-40 behind on serve in the seventh game and Zhang broke with a fierce backhand winner down the line.

Gauff had two chances to break straight back but netted on both. Zhang then failed to clinch a set point and was broken as she went long.

That proved the critical game as Gauff held and then broke to love. Gauff sealed her place in the quarter-finals as she took her first match point when Zhang netted.

Garcia continued her fantastic form as she beat Alison Riske 6-4 6-1 to make her second major quarter-final.

Garcia, 28, is yet to drop a set and should provide a tough test for Gauff, who has won their previous two meetings.

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