American Coco Gauff, 20, and Spaniard Paula Badosa, 26, won three-set matches on Friday. Each player lost the first set before mounting the two-set comeback. Though it is premature, if the two continue their winning ways in the fourth round, they will meet in the quarterfinals.
Coco Gauff Finds Her Spark Against Elina Svitolina
Defending US Open champion Coco Gauff has struggled this summer after finishing as a semifinalist at the Australian Open and French Open earlier in the year. It was going to be a tall task to duplicate the “Summer of Coco” from 2023. The reality is that Gauff has not come close. She lost in the fourth round at Wimbledon and the third round at the Olympics.
Gauff started her match against Elina Svitolina appearing not as confident or self-assured as last year. Svitolina played impeccable tennis in the first set. Gauff lifted her game in the second set. Her endurance and athleticism carried her through the third set. It was a statement win for Gauff, arguably the best of the summer.
Paula Badosa Grinds Way To Victory
Paula Badosa is enjoying a career renaissance. Plagued by injuries for most of 2023, Badosa is finally healthy. She skipped the Paris Olympics and won the Mubadala Citi DC Open, a hardcourt event. Badosa faced Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse who defeated Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova in the second round. Ruse ran out to the lead by winning the first set. Badosa kept grinding away. The match ended in a third-set tiebreak after Badosa saved a match point.
After the match, Badosa joked that the quality of tennis coming from Ruse’s side of the court reminded her of Ruse’s countrywoman Simona Halep.
A Quarterfinal Between Gauff and Badosa Is Possible
Gauff will face Emma Navarro who won her three-set gutsy match over Marta Kostyuk. Navarro defeated her in their last meeting at Wimbledon. Badosa will play Yafan Wang of China who defeated Victoria Azarenka in three sets. She is in her first Round of 16 at a Grand Slam.
Both Are Fan-Favorites
If they meet in the quarterfinals, it will be a tough one for the US Open fans to watch. Gauff will get more of the fan support. It is her home court and she is the defending champion. Paula Badosa was born in New York but moved with her family to Spain when she was seven years old. Fans have gravitated toward her as she has spoken honestly about her physical and mental struggles. At its worst in 2023, her back injury threatened to curtail her career.
The two have played each other five times. Badosa leads the head-to-head series 3-2. Gauff won their most recent meeting on the clay at the Italian Open earlier this year. Because she is the defending US Open champion, Gauff has the most pressure. Badosa is playing with house money because no one expected her to be healthy and play so well this summer.
Badosa Is Playing Doubles; Gauff Is Not
Coco Gauff won the 2024 French Open women’s doubles title with Katerina Siniakova. She is a perennial doubles player who has cut back since the Olympics. Gauff and Jessica Pegula were a top-ranked doubles team for years. The partnership has dissolved because both want to focus on their singles careers.
Paula Badosa is playing doubles at the US Open. This is not the norm for her but further testament that she feels healthy and confident. She will be playing mixed doubles with her boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas. The two won the Mixed Madness exhibition that was part of US Open Fan Week. Her injuries and scheduling issues stopped them from playing in last year’s Wimbledon and this year’s French Open.
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