cnn
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Coco Gauff continued her streak of commanding victories at the US Open on Tuesday, beating Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets.
The world No. 6 did not lose a game in the first set before claiming a convincing 6-0 6-2 victory to book her first place in the US Open semi-finals.
With many of the top seeds in the women's draw already eliminated, Gauff remains one of the few remaining favorites.
Gauff, 19, will now face either Sorana Cîrstea or this year's French Open runner-up Karolína Muchová in the next round.
“I'm very happy,” Gauff said in her on-court interview after the win. “Last year I lost in the quarterfinals. “I’m happy and ready to get back to work on the next one.”
The American faced a tough challenge against the resurgent Ostapenko after the Latvian beat defending champion Iga Świątek in the previous round.
But, playing in front of her home crowd, Gauff showed no signs of nerves as she dominated her opponent to win the first set in just 20 minutes.
Ostapenko, who won the French Open in 2017, came out in the second set much more aggressively, winning two games to avoid a complete shutout.
In the end, however, the frustrated Latvian proved no match for Gauff, as she was punished for making constant mistakes.
While the result looks overwhelming on paper, Gauff still had to work to win.
Ostapenko saved two match points as Gauff looked to break the tie, but the American was finally able to clinch victory with a precise forehand to seal her 10th consecutive victory.
“Honestly, I didn't feel comfortable at all during the match, not even on match points,” Gauff added.
“I know the game [Ostapenko] theater plays. She has the ability to come back no matter the score, so I was just trying to get every point, score every ball.
“It's very difficult against her because you can't really be aggressive, so I was trying my best to be aggressive when I could, and most of the time I was just trying to get the ball deep. She is a tough player and she had a great tournament.”
With the victory, Gauff becomes the first American teenager to reach the US Open semifinals since Serena Williams in 2001.
It is also only the second time in Gauff's career that she has reached the semifinal stage of a Grand Slam; the last was at the French Open in 2022, where he ultimately lost in the final to Świątek.
After beating Świątek in the previous round, Ostapenko was unhappy with the time off she had between the impressive victory and her match against Gauff.
“I mean, if I play a match, like a night session, then I guess, on a day, I have to play at least at the same time or later because you don't really have much time to recover.” ”Ostapenko told reporters after his defeat. “I think the timing was better for her because obviously she played much earlier in the day than I played the night session.”
The 26-year-old added that she was sure she would face Gauff in the evening session.
“The thing is, when I asked the day before, I was pretty sure I was going to play in the night session because that's what they told me. When the schedule came out, I saw that he was playing the first game and I thought, 'Wow, that's a bit of a strange schedule,'” Ostapenko added.
“Yeah, when I saw the calendar I was a little surprised, not in a good way.”
CNN contacted the US Tennis Association about Ostapenko's comments but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Gauff now has a great opportunity at Flushing Meadows.
In Monday's action, No. 1 seed Świątek, No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula and No. 5 seed Ons Jabeur exited the tournament, leaving Gauff and No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka , as the two highest remaining seeds. She is in the women's team.
And with some convincing wins under her belt in New York, Gauff has arguably her best chance at winning her first Grand Slam title.
The remaining top seed in the draw, Sabalenka, will face rising Chinese star Zheng Qinwen, who is enjoying the best run of her Grand Slam career after comfortably defeating last year's finalist Jabeur in straight sets in the round of 16. .
Świątek's early exit means Sabalenka will become the new world No. 1 on Monday, the first time in her career she has held the top spot, and her rise comes after a remarkable year in which she won three titles. , including the first one. Grand Slam at the Australian Open.
Sabalenka says she is currently “playing great tennis” but knows “there are always things to improve” as she anticipates a tough match against Zheng.
“We practiced with her a couple of times,” she told reporters after Monday's victory over Daria Kasatkina. “She is playing really fantastic tennis. [Her] The forehand is very heavy, I would say the backhand too. Serving well. Moving well.
“It's like he has nothing to lose, so he's playing at his best. He played great tennis against Ons; I haven't seen his previous matches, but yes, he is playing great tennis right now.
“The hardest part is that he is moving well and hitting some strong shots. I have to be physically and mentally prepared for there to be some winners against me in that match.
“I just have to focus on myself more than her. I know that if I bring my tennis there, I have a chance to win this match.”
