On Friday, Coco Gauff advanced to the semi-finals of the Auckland Tennis Classic by defeating Varvara Gracheva of France 6-1, 6-1. The match took place on a rainy day during the quarter-finals.
The number one ranked player and previous title-holder only required 24 minutes to secure the initial set and ultimately claimed the match in just under an hour. Gauff has yet to lose a set in this tournament and also did not lose a set when she won the tournament last year. The match was delayed due to rain and there was a possibility of more bad weather towards the end. However, Gauff swiftly clinched the win as ominous clouds gathered, serving five aces.
“I believe I performed exceptionally well, possibly the best thus far in this tournament, which was a goal I had been focused on during the off-season,” stated Gauff. “There was a lot of rain last year, so I am grateful to have been able to complete my match.”
Gauff will face off against her fellow American Emma Navarro in the semi-finals after Navarro secured a victory against Petra Martic of France, the fourth seed, with a score of 6-4, 6-3. Despite losing to Martic in a previous match in Cincinnati, Navarro dominated the court with an 80% success rate on first serves and a strong offensive strategy against Martic’s second serves. In another quarter-final match, China’s Wang Xiyu also fought for three hours and eight minutes against Diane Parry of France, ultimately winning 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-4. However, due to rain, the match took longer in terms of running time.
Elena Rybakina, the second seed, was able to secure her spot in the semi-finals of the Brisbane International after playing only seven games in her quarter-final match on Friday. However, for two-time champion Victoria Azarenka, it was a more challenging journey. She had to endure a three-set match that lasted about two and a half hours. In jest, she even mentioned the possibility of needing to wear protective headgear in order to advance. Despite the difficulty, she was able to defeat the No. 3 seed Jelena Ostapenko, who won the 2017 French Open, with a score of 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.
In their match, Anastasia Potapova, seeded 11th, retired due to an abdominal injury after losing the first set 6-1 to Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion. Rybakina’s next opponent will be either Linda Noskova or Mirra Andreeva.
Azarenka, the winner of two consecutive Australian Open titles in 2012 and 2013, secured her win in a close match that was interrupted by an emotional outburst from Ostapenko towards the chair umpire, Julie Kjendlie. The Belarusian player remarked, “When playing against Jelena, it’s important to be prepared for anything and to stay focused.” Azarenka praised Ostapenko as an amazing player and a grand slam champion, noting that she has proven her ability to defeat anyone on any given day. The level of tennis played was exceptional, making Azarenka proud to have come out on top.
Azarenka will face either her top-seeded compatriot Aryna Sabalenka, the defending Australian Open champion, or the fifth-seeded Daria Kasatkina.
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Holger Rune, the number one seed in the men’s bracket, defeated James Duckworth 6-2, 7-6 (6) to advance to the semi-finals where he will face off against Roman Safiullin. Safiullin secured his spot in the semi-finals by defeating Matteo Arnaldi 7-6 (4), 6-2.
Grigor Dimitrov defeated Rinky Hijikata with a score of 6-1, 6-4 to advance to the semi-finals. The second seeded player may potentially face Rafael Nadal in the next round. Nadal is making a comeback from a year-long injury and will be facing Australian Jordan Thompson in a quarter-final match on Pat Rafter Arena. The 22-time grand slam champion has won his first two matches in straight sets, marking his return to competitive play since the 2023 Australian Open.
Source: theguardian.com
