Coco Gauff made a powerful comeback at the United Cup quarterfinals, showcasing her skills on the court after a challenging week marred by a singles loss and social media tensions. The young American star delivered an impressive performance on Wednesday, clinching two victories that propelled the United States into the semifinals scheduled for Saturday in Sydney.
Gauff opened the day’s action by defeating Greece’s Maria Sakkari in decisive fashion, winning the match 6-3, 6-2 and giving the defending champions a 1-0 advantage. Despite Taylor Fritz’s struggles, battling knee tendinitis, he was unable to secure a win against Stefanos Tsitsipas, losing 6-4, 7-5, which set the stage for a crucial mixed doubles match to determine the quarterfinal outcome.
In the mixed doubles showdown, Gauff partnered with Christian Harrison to face the duo of Tsitsipas and Sakkari. The American pair initially appeared to be cruising, leading 4-0 and then 5-1 in the final set 10-point tiebreaker. However, a resilient rally from the Greek team brought them back to a tie at 6-6. Despite this challenge, Gauff and Harrison managed to hold on to secure a thrilling 4-6, 6-4, 10-8 victory.
Reflecting on her strong performance, Gauff credited her rhythm and movement on the court for the success. “I think I was striking the ball well today, and when that happens, my movement on the court is also good,” she stated, indicating that these positive indicators often lead to good outcomes for her.
Earlier in the week, Gauff faced difficulties as she took to social media to clarify her position on previous comments about American tennis fans, just before suffering her first singles defeat to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. However, her determination shone through as she and Fritz later secured their top position in Group A.
Simultaneously, in a nighttime quarterfinal in Perth, Swiss tennis star Stan Wawrinka, who is set to retire soon, was scheduled to lead his team against Argentina. Meanwhile, in Sydney, Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz and Iga Świątek also claimed victories in their singles matches, securing a 2-0 lead over the Netherlands and earning a spot in the quarterfinals against Australia.
Gauff’s resilience and ability to bounce back highlight her potential as she continues to shine on the international stage, promising exciting moments ahead in the upcoming semifinals.