Coco Gauff defeats world No. 1 Iga Swiatek to seal one of the biggest wins of her career… as she books a place in the Western & Southern Open final to continue her perfect US Open preparation
Coco Gauff dismantled the world’s top female tennis player Iga Swiatek to reserve her spot in the Western & Southern Open semifinals and continue her perfect preparation for this month’s US Open.
The American, 19, advanced to Sunday’s showpiece with a 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-4 victory in Mason, Ohio, to seal arguably the biggest win of her career – and in a crucial moment.
The win means Gauff has qualified for her first WTA 1000 final and beat Swiatek for the first time in eight encounters – winning in two hours and 50 minutes.
Seventh-seeded Gauff will face No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus or unseeded Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in Sunday’s final.
Gauff had never won a set against Swiatek in their seven previous encounters, including losing 6–4, 6–2 in their final match in the quarterfinals of the French Open.
Gauff overcame a 5-3 deficit in the opening set and raced to a 4-0 lead in the tiebreak thanks to three unforced errors by Swiatek.
Swiatek fought off three match points in the final game before Gauff took the win.
Gauff is aiming for her fifth WTA singles title and second this month, following her previous win in Washington, DC