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Coco Gauff overcame a set deficit and saved two match points in a dramatic second-set tiebreak to defeat fifth seed Mirra Andreeva 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2 and reach the US Open semifinals for the second time.
Gauff, the 2023 champion, completed the comeback in two hours and 19 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday to extend her perfect record against Andreeva to 6-0, according to the WTA website. The American appeared close to elimination when Andreeva earned a second match point on her own serve in the tiebreak, but Gauff held her nerve to force a deciding set. She then took control, winning the final set 6-2 to seal her place in the last four. A crucial moment came earlier in the tiebreak when the two players engaged in a 39-shot rally with Gauff leading 4-3. The fourth seed eventually won the point with a drop-shot winner, giving her further momentum before she fought off the two match points. The victory extended Gauff's winning streak to 11 matches and took her record to 20 wins in her last 22 matches dating back to Wimbledon. She has also reached the semifinals at four consecutive tournaments during that stretch. Gauff has recorded 12 comeback wins this season, level with fellow American Jessica Pegula for the most on the WTA Tour. She will next face second seed Elena Rybakina, who defeated Zheng Qinwen in the quarterfinals and secured the world No. 1 ranking in the process. Rybakina will officially move to the top of the rankings on Monday and is chasing a third Grand Slam title. The semifinal will be the third meeting between Rybakina and Gauff, with their head-to-head record tied at 1-1. Rybakina won their most recent encounter in the Toronto semifinals earlier this year. The other semifinal pits top seed and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka against third seed Pegula. Sabalenka leads their overall rivalry 9-4, although Pegula won their latest meeting in the Berlin semifinals. Their last four encounters have gone to three sets, with the two players winning two apiece. Sabalenka has reached the semifinals while continuing her bid for a historic US Open three-peat, whereas Pegula is appearing in the New York semifinals for the third consecutive year and remains in search of her first Grand Slam title. The four semifinalists also make this year's US Open women's singles draw historic. It is only the second time in the Open Era that the top four seeds have all reached the semifinals at Flushing Meadows, after 1975. It is also the first time since Wimbledon 2009 that the top four women's seeds have reached the semifinals at any Grand Slam. (ANI)
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