Champion Gauff comes from behind to beat Svitolina
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Defending champion Coco Gauff came back from a set down to beat Ukrainian Elina Svitolina and reach the fourth round of the US Open.
American third seed Gauffâs bid to become the first woman to defend the title since Serena Williams in 2014 is still alive after a hard-fought 3-6 6-3 6-3 victory.
âThis win means a lot,â Gauff said. âI knew today was going to be a tough match. Every time I play Elina, sheâs a fighter. I knew I had to bring my best tennis.â
She will face compatriot Emma Navarro after the 13th seed claimed a 6-4 4-6 6-3 win over Ukraineâs Marta Kostyuk.
The two Americans met in the fourth round of Wimbledon this year, with Navarro causing a shock on Centre Court.
âI feel like that match at Wimbledon I think I mentally just literally collapsed on the court. I was very frustrated, and she played well,â said Gauff.
âI have to expect her to play her best tennis, and I just need to know that I need to bring it and mentally be there from the beginning to the end.â
Meanwhile, last yearâs runner-up Aryna Sabalenka fought back from a set down to beat Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova 2-6 6-1 6-2 in a match that finished at 1.49am local time in New York (06:49 BST).
The late-night finish was a result of Fridayâs day session on Arthur Ashe Stadium filtering into the evening slot, with Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton playing out a five-set thriller before the menâs defending champion Novak Djokovic suffered a surprise defeat by Alexei Popyrin.
âThank you all for staying that late guys. For real, youâre the best. I hope youâre going to get a good sleep,â said Sabalenka, who arrived on court after midnight.
âI was praying theyâre were not going to play so long.
âIt was tricky but I just stayed with my team, tried to relax and pretended that the match was going to be in five hours instead to chill.â
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Published48 minutes ago
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Published48 minutes ago
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Published6 hours ago
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Svitolina sent the crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium into a nervous silence when she served out the first set after breaking for a 5-3 lead.
But it was Gauff who struck first in the second, converting her break point with a brilliant cross-court forehand winner.
With her confidence boosted and the crowd behind her, the 20-year-old American held serve twice more and let out a huge roar as she forced a decider.
Gauffâs momentum continued as she dominated Svitolinaâs serve, breaking twice to surge into a 4-1 lead.
But she then failed to convert three match points while trying to serve out the match before eventually securing the win by breaking Svitolina to love in the next game, screaming to the crowd in delight.
Sabalenka, who replaced Gauff as number two in the world rankings earlier this month, also got off to a slow start.
Alexandrova, the 29th seed, earned two successive breaks in the first set before serving it out â much to Sabalenkaâs frustration.
But the Belarusian regained her composure to break first in the second and it was plain sailing from there.
âShe played incredible tennis in the first set, it was really tough to change that. Iâm really happy I was able to turn it around,â Sabalenka said.
The Australian Open champion will face Belgiumâs Elise Mertens, who won 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 6-4 against American 14th seed Madison Keys.
Badosa and Zheng reach fourth round
Elsewhere in the womenâs draw on Friday, Spaniard Paula Badosa saved a match point as she came from behind to beat Romaniaâs Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
Badosa, seeded 26th, needed a match tie-break to book a spot in the fourth round for the first time with a 4-6 6-1 7-6 (10-8) victory.
The former world number two said she was playing âmaybe at one of the best levelsâ of her career after an injury-hit year.
âIt means so much, and after what Iâve been through the last year, for me itâs very special to already be on this level,â said Badosa, who has constant pain in her back after a stress fracture.
âAt the beginning of the year I was obsessed â I wanted to have the comeback of the year, like no matter what.
âIâm back at the top. For me it means a lot because itâs where I want to be.â
Badosa, 26, will take on Wang Yafan next after the Chinese player overcame former world number one Victoria Azarenka 6-4 3-6 6-1.
Olympic champion Zheng Qinwenâs bid for a first Grand Slam title remains on course after she cruised past German Jule Niemeier with a 6-2 6-1 victory.
Zheng will play Wimbledon semi-finalist Donna Vekic, who moved past American Peyton Stearns 7-5 6-4.