Coco Gauff pulled off an absolute stunner in the US Open quarterfinals Wednesday, rallying from an early deficit to oust Mirra Andreeva 2-6, 7-6, 6-2. This wasn’t Gauff’s cleanest match, not by a long shot, but she still managed to stare down two match points and grit out a win in a brutal two-hour, 19-minute battle. Her “survival instincts” were championship-grade, even when her actual tennis wasn’t.
The Absolute Grind: How Gauff Flipped the Script
Honestly, that first set was a complete showcase for Andreeva, and it looked like it was going to be a short night for Gauff. Andreeva controlled everything. Then, late in the second set, the whole vibe shifted. Andreeva had a golden opportunity, a break-point at 5-5, and she sent a forehand right into the net. That miss changed everything! Gauff grabbed the opening she desperately needed. After saving those two match points, she stole the second set in a tiebreak, and suddenly, the outcome felt inevitable. You just knew she had it.
Gauff looked like a completely different player in the third set, moving with purpose and attacking with renewed confidence. Andreeva, on the other hand, just caved under the pressure. She started taking pace off her shots and even tossed multiple rackets to the ground at one point after missing a two-handed backhand at the net. Gauff had 12 double faults in this match, which is wild considering she only had 15 over her first four tournament matches combined. And yeah, those 42 unforced errors? A lot of them came in those frustrating first two sets. But even with all that, she was in complete control at 3-1 in the third.
Championship Grit and What’s Next
This wasn’t a flawless performance, but it was a massive reminder of Gauff’s resilience and why she’s one of the sport’s most dangerous players. She’s now 6-0 career against Andreeva, just another notch in that win column. Gauff isn’t alone in going deep either; she’s the fourth American semifinalist, joining Jessica Pegula, Ben Shelton, and Frances Tiafoe. Get this: all top-4 seeds on the women’s side are in the semifinals for the first time since 1975! That’s a crazy stat.
After the match, Gauff said she “just had to reset,” even thinking about Frances Tiafoe’s comeback. She wanted to “leave with no regrets.” This 22-year-old already has two Grand Slams, the US Open in 2023 and the Australian Open in 2025. She’s now just two wins away from her third major. Next up, it’s the second-seeded Elena Rybakina. Gauff will absolutely need a cleaner start against Rybakina, but she just proved she can win even when she’s not at her absolute best, relying on that mental and athletic advantage. That’s a dangerous player heading into the semifinals.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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