WHAT HAPPENED: The 11th game of the US Open third-round singles match featuring Coco Gauff saw six deuces, five break-point opportunities for her opponent, and one frustrated American fighting herself—and a one-set-to-love deficit—as an anxious Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd desperately hoped for a turnaround.
That game epitomized how the rest of the match went for Coco: she scrapped, cracked some exquisite winners, threw in more double faults, screamed into the sky at some of her unforced errors, urged the crowd to lift her up when she did find the range and, eventually, squeezed out the game—and the second set.
There was no stopping Gauff afterward, as the No. 6 seed fought her way to a 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory over Belgium’s Elise Mertens to advance to the Round of 16 at the 2023 US Open.
Gauff pulled off what many current and future champions have done on their way to championships and greatness, winning when not playing their best. In her first-round match on Monday, Gauff also had to come back from a set down to take out Laura Siegemund amid another emotionally-charged atmosphere inside Ashe Stadium.
“When you lose the first set, you have to show that you have to leave that energy in the first set,” Gauff said. “The three setters show that I’m not going down without a fight.”
Even more impressive was that Gauff roared back against a player who saved a combined five match points in her first two rounds and was playing with house money—and almost hit the jackpot.
The combination of Mertens’ shotmaking from both wings and a string of errors from Gauff at the most inopportune times gave Mertens the first set. Gauff was broken three times in that first frame, including one at 15-40 to give Mertens a 4-3 lead and a second at 0-15 in the final service game on the way to Mertens winning the set three points later.
“[Mertens] was playing a little bit more aggressive than the last time I played her,” Gauff said. “Also I had some areas where I was not missing by a lot, it was a little bit on balls that I probably could have ended the point on.”
Mertens held to begin the second before the crucial hold from Gauff where she saved those five break points to hold. Gauff’s up-and-down play continued over the next two games, breaking Mertens in the subsequent game to take her first lead of the second set (2-1) before being broken right back.
Two games later, Gauff broke back to take a 4-3 advantage, on her way to winning the final 10 games of the match in spectacular fashion. The final frame saw Gauff make just two unforced errors compared to Mertens’ 15.
WHAT IT MEANS: The blockbuster quarterfinal that many hoped would materialize when the women’s draw came out last week is one step away from becoming reality, as Gauff and No. 1 Iga Swiatek, located in the same quarter, both won their matches. Gauff’s red-hot summer included a win against Swiatek in the semifinals on Coco’s way to the title. Standing in the way between Gauff and a second consecutive US Open quarterfinal appearance is another crowd (and sentimental) favorite, two-time US Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki.
“A matchup I thought I would never have to play,” Gauff said during the courtside interview about her upcoming match with the former world No. 1. “When she retired, I said in an interview that I wish I would have played her. And my wish came true.”
Swiatek also has a tough obstacle on her way to a possible meeting with Gauff, taking on 2017 Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko, who is 3-0 in the head-to-head against the current world No. 1.
MATCH POINT: Gauff and Mertens shared more than just the tennis court on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Tonight’s matchup pitted two former world No. 1 players in doubles, with both achieving the illustrious feat last year. Mertens spent nine consecutive weeks at No. 1 starting on June 6, 2022, and when she fell from the top spot on August 15 of that year, it was Gauff who replaced her.
