Coco Gauff fought back from a set down to beat French Open champion Mirra Andreeva 2-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 at the US Open on Wednesday, booking her place in the semifinals and keeping alive hopes of an all-American final.
The 2023 champion will next face newly crowned world No 1 Elena Rybakina, who beat Zheng Qinwen earlier on Wednesday to claim top spot in the women's game. Rybakina, who is from Kazakhstan, won her only Grand Slam title so far at Wimbledon in 2022.
Gauff also keeps alive the possibility of an all-American final on Saturday. US No 1 Jessica Pegula is due to face Aryna Sabalenka in the other semifinal, on the opposite side of the draw.
A frustrated start on Arthur Ashe
Gauff was by no means assured of a place in the last four after a wayward first set, in which Andreeva, the No 5 seed, hurtled out of the blocks to build a 5-1 lead. Gauff managed to hold only her final service game before the set slipped away.
The second set stayed close, but Gauff cut a frustrated figure on court, at times appearing close to tears as she remonstrated with herself and her players' box over her lack of form. The American broke to lead 4-2, only to be broken straight back by Andreeva, and neither woman held serve again until the set reached 5-5.
Gauff forced a tiebreak and produced her best tennis of the match, setting up three match points before Andreeva fought them off and sent the contest to a deciding set.
Gauff surges through the decider
Backed by a wildly partisan crowd cheering on their former champion, Gauff carried her momentum straight into the third set, breaking Andreeva for a 3-1 lead. The 19-year-old Russian was never comfortable again as her game slipped and her error count climbed.
At 5-2, Andreeva's frustration boiled over. She let her racket fly, sending it crashing into a pile of her belongings and forcing a courtside cameraman to dodge out of the way, before slumping into her chair and appearing to wipe her eyes.
Gauff then served out the match in style, once again burnishing her credentials as a favourite for the title.
Gauff credits Tiafoe for the turnaround
Gauff said she had drawn inspiration from fellow American Frances Tiafoe, who beat Alex Michelsen over five sets on Tuesday to reach the men's semifinals.
"I think I had to reset," Gauff said of her choppy first set and how she returned to demolish Andreeva. "I came out not feeling the ball, not giving her too many free points, Mirra was playing great."
"In the bathroom, honestly I was thinking about Frances Tiafoe yesterday, and how he came back (against Michelsen)," she said. "I was trying to leave the court with no regrets."
Two Grand Slam champions collide next
Gauff is a two-time major winner, having won the US Open in 2023 and adding the French Open title this year. Andreeva claimed her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros in June and had been one of the form players of the season before running into Gauff on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the tournament's main show court in New York.
Gauff's semifinal against Rybakina will decide whether an all-American final remains possible alongside the Pegula-Sabalenka meeting on the other side of the draw.
