Coco Gauff, 6th in the world and title contender after her brilliant summer, was heckled by Belgian Elise Mertens (32nd) before taking control of the game and qualifying (3-6, 6-3, 6-0) for the round of 16 of the US Open. “The energy of the public helped me a lot. When you lose the first set, you have to tell yourself that there are still a lot of games to play,” commented the 19-year-old American, who was once again able to count on the unconditional support of the public at the Arthur-Ashe court. “I would have liked to win in two straight sets, but Elise played very well,” she admitted.
Finalist at Roland-Garros in 2022, Gauff will face Danish comeback Caroline Wozniacki, 33, for a place in the quarterfinals. “I never thought I would face him. But it’s not a question of generation, she is still in good shape and very strong. She has a lot of supporters, but I hope the public will still help me,” Gauff said. Wozniacki played in two US Open finals (2009 and 2014) and won the Australian Open in 2018. But she ended her career in 2020 and gave birth to two children before returning to the circuit in August in Montreal and to play his first Major since Australia 2020 in New York.
For her part, Gauff won two titles in August before coming to Flushing Meadows: Washington and the WTA 1000 in Cincinnati where she beat Iga Swiatek in the semis. But she has been less dominating since the start of the American Major. She has already given up a set in the first round against the German Laura Siegemund in an electric match, and again against Mertens. However, in the quarter-finals, she could find Swiatek who has a string of quick victories.