Coco Gauff Battles to Australian Open Semifinals Past Unseeded Kostyuk

Coco Gauff, the US Open champion, successfully advanced to her first Australian Open semi-final after a tough battle with unseeded Ukrainian player Marta Kostyuk on Tuesday. Playing as the fourth seed, the American triumphed in a challenging match under the hot conditions of Rod Laver Arena, securing a 7-6 (8/6), 6-7 (3/7), 6-2 victory in a lengthy three hours and eight minutes.

Gauff’s next opponent in the semi-finals will be either the defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, seeded second, or ninth seed Barbora Krejcikova, whom she will face on Thursday for a spot in the final. Despite an impressive run to the quarterfinals, Gauff’s performance was less than stellar, marked by struggles with her serve and missed opportunities.

Expressing her satisfaction with the win, Gauff acknowledged the challenge presented by Kostyuk, noting her own determination and effort on the court. “Marta is a tough opponent… I really fought and left it all on the court today,” she commented.

The match was characterized by its low quality, with both players combining for an astonishing 16 service breaks and accumulating a total of 107 unforced errors. Kostyuk particularly will lament her missed opportunities, having lost a 5-1 lead and failing to capitalize on set points in the first set.

Gauff also had her moments of faltering, particularly when she was broken while serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set. However, she managed to regain composure in the final set as Kostyuk grew increasingly frustrated.

Reflecting on her strategy, Gauff said, “I was just trying to get one more game in the first set and at least make it competitive and then one game turned to another and I was able to win that set. In the second, I gave myself opportunities but became a little bit passive and when I came out in the third I was just trying to play aggressive and hit through the court.”

Gauff’s victory extends her unbeaten run to 10 matches this year, following her win in Auckland. She reached the semi-finals without facing a seeded player, benefiting from the early exits of several top players from the tournament.