Coco Gauff reaches US Open semifinals after comeback victory over Mirra Andreeva

Coco Gauff advanced to the US Open semifinals on Wednesday after defeating Mirra Andreeva 2-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-2. The fourth seed saved two match points in the second set tie-breaker to recover from a one-set deficit. Gauff will face Elena Rybakina in the semifinals. Rybakina, the second seed, is set to become the new world number one after defeating Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. The other semifinal will feature world number one Aryna Sabalenka and third seed Jessica Pegula.

Gauff struggled in the opening set, which the BBC reported as a 26-minute affair. She later attributed her resilience to the inspiration she drew from compatriot Frances Tiafoe, who had achieved a comeback victory the previous night. Gauff noted that she felt the need to reset after giving her opponent too many free points. In contrast, Andreeva, the fifth seed and French Open champion, dominated the start of the match but struggled with her emotions in the final set, which included an incident where she flung her racket in frustration.

Reports on Gauff's performance varied in their emphasis. Center-leaning coverage focused on the match progression and the ranking implications for Rybakina. Center-left coverage highlighted Gauff's emotional journey and her specific inspiration from Tiafoe. Center-leaning coverage from the BBC provided a more critical statistical analysis, noting that Gauff's 22 winners were outnumbered by 42 unforced errors and 12 double faults.