Coco Gauff stepped onto Rod Laver Arena in her first Australian Open quarter-final and struggled desperately to find her game. Nerves and tension dominated the field, while unforced errors marred every aspect of his game. Not only did Gauff quickly fall behind 1-5 in the first set against the stubborn Marta Kostyuk, but even when she recovered and took the lead, she hadn’t fully established herself.
It’s a testament to Gauff’s mental strength and how despite her struggles she somehow finds a way out, making winning a habit. After a fight that lasted more than three hours in the Melbourne heat, Gauff emerged from a chaotic and complicated but highly entertaining psychodrama to advance to the semi-finals with a 7-6 (6), 6-7 (3), 6-2 victory over Kostyuk.
“I’m really proud of how I fought today,” Gauff said. “Marta is a tough competitor; It’s a tough match every time we play. “I really fought today and left it all on the field.”
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Gauff had not faced even the slightest test in her first four rounds at the Australian Open. While the seeds in the first half were dispersed, the fourth-place team passed the draw and advanced to the quarter-finals without losing a set.
But it is unusual in tennis for everything to always flow. Winning consistently, even among the best, is about managing the moments when their shots don’t fire and finding a solution through their tackles.
Gauff has repeatedly demonstrated her ability to win regardless of her form that day. He is now 34-4 (89.4%) since the start of the North American hardcourt swing in late July of last year, and the 19-year-old has won his first 10 matches of the season. With 49 wins at Grand Slam tournaments, Gauff has tied Serena Williams for the second most by an American teenager in the Open Era. Only Jennifer Capriati (50) earned more.
Gauff now awaits either second seed and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka or ninth seed Barbora Krejcikova for a place in the final.
But it was Kostyuk who excelled early on, displaying a range of skills with his excellent athleticism, deft touch and ability to move towards goal. The 21-year-old started the match determined to establish herself inside the baseline and load as many balls as possible onto Gauff’s weaker forehand. Once she quickly calmed down, Gauff fended off mistakes at every point of the game, including her reliable backhand. By the time Kostyuk took a 5-1 lead, Gauff had just one lead with 18 unforced errors.
Gauff slowly began to find her feet, finding her range on her outside shot and becoming more solid in decisive moments. As the American’s level rose, Kostyuk began to freeze. Both players could not shake their nerves during the tie-break. There were conflicts in their own minds as well as on the court, and Gauff eventually went on to take the set.
Although both players continued to struggle early in the second set, Gauff appeared to stabilize her game in the decisive moments. He reached 5-3 in the second set and fell two points short of victory, but Kostyuk fought hard. During this match, the Ukrainian put up one of the greatest defensive efforts of the tournament; Flying from side to side, chasing volleys and brutal forehands, she drew a forehand error from Gauff. This time, as the momentum shifted in his favor again, the Ukrainian managed to break the tie and force the final set.
Losing the second set by such a margin could have been fatal, but instead Gauff quickly shook off her disappointment. He started the final set refreshed and played much closer to the standards he had set over the last half year. He found greater precision in his serve and greater confidence in receiving the ball and advanced to the semi-finals.
No one could have been more pleased than his coach, Brad Gilbert, author of Winning Ugly, who sat courtside with a smile on Tuesday as he salvaged one of the ugliest victories in one of the biggest games of his young career. .
Despite the defeat, Kostyuk left the biggest match of his career happy with his performance and fight, and excited for the coming year. Earlier in the tournament, Kostyuk said he believed he and his fellow Ukrainian players were successful in drawing attention to the war in Ukraine. Her compatriot Dayana Yastremska will face Linda Noskova in the semifinals on Wednesday.
“According to me [the] “The girls did a really good job,” she said. “Hopefully we can do well in most tournaments, especially the big ones with lots of media. I think people need to be reminded of that.”
He continued: “But yeah, I was messaging some people from Kiev [before the match]. ‘How?’ I said. How are you guys?’ They said, ‘We were investigating where the missiles were flying with your score.’ So it’s still there. Still there.”