Tennis star Coco Gauff reaches US Open quarter-final… after defying coaching advice to overcome the returning Caroline Wozniacki in three sets in New York
- Coco Gauff defies coach’s advice as she reaches US Open quarter-finals
- The American defeated Caroline Wozniacki 6-3 3-6 6-1 at Flushing Meadows
- Gauff had disagreement with her renowned court side mentor Brad Gilbert
Coco Gauff defied some of the best coaching advice in tennis to come through another scrape and reach the quarter finals of the US Open last night.
Her hardworking passage through the draw continued after a disagreement with her renowned courtside mentor Brad Gilbert in the course of a 6-3 3-6 6-1 victory over the returning Caroline Wozniacki.
The 33 year-old Dane, who is back after becoming the mother two children, had an early break in the third set but lost the last six games against the crowd favourite. Gauff was awaiting the winner of top seed Iga Swiatek and number 30 Jelena Ostapenko.
‘Getting to 2-1 (in the third) was the turning point, I started to go for my shots and be aggressive,’ said Gauff. ‘She gets to a lot of balls, sometimes I felt like I was playing myself, getting a lot of balls back. I knew I had to go for my shots.
‘My whole box are cheering for me, sometimes I tell them to chill a little bit, I like to work it out for myself, sometimes it’s a stress reaction.
Coco Gauff is through to the US Open quarter-finals despite ignoring advice from her coach
Gauff saw off the returning Caroline Wozniacki with a 6-3 3-6 6-1 win at Flushing Meadows
‘Her level is like she has never left. It’s a bit weird because I grew up watching her so to be on court with her was an honour. I’ve been in this position before, I have confidence in myself that I can go even further.’
The American had already survived her share of dramas in the early rounds, and in the first set was once again able to regroup after a slow start.
In the second, however, she became frustrated in the face of the relentless probing and baseline coverage of Wozniacki, the trademark asset which took her to world number one in her ‘first’ career.
Gauff served two double faults to be broken for 3-5, and it prompted her to tell her loquacious coach Brad Gilbert to quieten down his advice from her courtside box.
She was broken at the start of the decider but then repaired the damage by hitting flat drives and ignoring Gilbert’s advice, picked up by microphone, to give the ball more air.
It worked a treat, and she finally broke through the defences of Wozniacki, who is only three tournaments into her comeback.