- By Jonathan Jurejko
- ` Sport at Melbourne Park
January 21, 2024, 04:28 GMT
Updated 3 hours ago
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Gauff made it past the fourth round at the Australian Open for the first time
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Venue: Melbourne Park. Dates: 14th – 28th January |
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Coverage: Tennis Breakfast commentary daily from 07:00 GMT on Radio 5 Sports Extra and ` Sounds, with selected live text commentary and match reports on the ` Sport website and app |
Coco Gauff says she often forgets she is still a teenager after becoming the youngest woman to reach the Australian Open singles quarterfinals since 2008.
The 19-year-old American secured her place in the last eight by defeating Poland's Magdalena Frech 6-1, 6-2.
“I've lived so many lives in the last four years that I just feel older than 19,” said US Open winner Gauff.
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka continued her own quiet progress by defeating Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 6-2.
Gauff and the 25-year-old Sabalenka remain on course for a meeting in the quarter-finals in Melbourne, which would give the Belarusian a chance to avenge her defeat in the US Open final.
After bursting onto the scene at Wimbledon as a 15-year-old in 2019, Gauff fulfilled her long-heralded potential by winning her first Grand Slam title in New York.
Now, in her last major tournament as a teenager, she is the second favorite at the Australian Open behind second seed Sabalenka.
“Sometimes I forget my age. I know I won’t be a teenager anymore,” said Gauff, who became the youngest player to reach the quarter-finals in Melbourne since Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska.
“When I look at the other girls on tour who are 16, 17 and coming now, they just feel so young and I feel so old.”
“I know I’m not that old, but I definitely forget my age a lot.”
Gauff, who has never faced another seed, will next face Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, while Sabalenka will face either 16-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva or ninth seed Czech Barbora Krejcikova.
Neither Gauff nor Sabalenka lost a set at the first Grand Slam tournament of the 2024 season.
Seeds fall, but Gauff continues to charge
In women's singles, the seeded players have fallen quickly, with only four of the top 16 remaining after the first week, and only seven left in total.
18th-seeded Belarusian Victoria Azarenka is the only Grand Slam champion left in the top half of the draw after world number one Iga Swiatek's surprise defeat in the third round on Saturday.
The 19-year-old Gauff ensured that she did not face the same fate by putting in a confident and composed performance against Frech, who was making her first appearance in the round of 16 of a major.
The American broke serve in the first game, allowing Frech to win by just 10 points in a 26-minute set.
Two more breaks of serve followed in the second set as Gauff got through without a break point.
She will face Kostyuk in her first quarter-final in Melbourne after the world number 37 defeated Russian qualifier Maria Timofeeva 6-2 6-1.
Gauff said she was “not too nervous” to play in front of the great Rod Laver – because she was already on her way to victory when the 11-time major champion arrived on the course named after him.
“Luckily I was already way up when I noticed him coming in,” joked Gauff, who thanked the 85-year-old Australian for coming to her match.
Sabalenka goes further – with new superstitions
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Sabalenka defeated Elena Rybakina in last year's final
Sabalenka was in similarly devastating form, losing just six games in her first three matches and delivering another dominant performance against the 22-year-old Anisimova.
She had lost her last four meetings with the American but needed just 70 minutes to secure victory at Melbourne Park.
The 25-year-old developed a new superstition this week: She writes on her fitness trainer's head with a pen before every game.
“I did it before the first game,” she said. “Now it’s routine.
“Every time he’s not particularly happy that I do it. He says, 'Okay, all for the win'.”
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