US Open: Coco Gauff beats Elina Svitolina to reach fourth round after fighting back from set down | Tennis News

Coco Gauff recovered from being a set down to beat Elina Svitolina 3-6 6-3 6-3 in the third round of the US Open, keeping alive the 20-year-old American’s dream of defending her first Grand Slam title.

The third seed made mistake after mistake in the first set on Arthur Ashe Stadium, dropping the 11 points of the opener to lose it 6-3 against 27th-seeded Svitolina.

But Gauff raised her level thereafter, managing to reel off nine of 11 games at one point as she came from behind to win, something she did three times en route to winning last year’s tournament – including in the final against Aryna Sabalenka.

Gauff’s victory also ends a five-match losing streak against top-50 opponents.

On Sunday, she will either play fellow American, and 13th seed, Emma Navarro – who beat Gauff in the fourth round at Wimbledon this summer – or 19th-ranked Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine, for a place in the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows.

Gauff: The crowd always give me energy

Coco Gauff, speaking to Sky Sports courtside:

“It was a tough match. I got a little bit nervous at the end, but I was able to find my nerves and try and focus.

“I’m really proud and overall very happy with how I played. Elina is not an easy player at all, especially so early in the tournament.

“I was using the crowd to my advantage, they always give me energy. I was trying my best to stay pumped but also stay clam – sometimes the adrenaline can be too much. It’s about finding the balance.

“There’s still a long way to go. I’m focused on the match in front of me and I’m just enjoying it.”

Henman: Gauff will need to raise her level

Sky Sports’ Tim Henman:

“It’s about winning. It looks stressful out there but she has done very well to respond.

“The stress levels were enormous. You can see from her reaction, she’s pleased with the win, but it’s also massive relief.

“She’s got the job done but there is room for improvement. It’s a sign of a great player when you can win without playing great.

“She is still in a good place, she’s still in the tournament and she can still play better. I just think when she comes up against better players, she is going to need to raise her level.”

Sky Sports’ Feliciano Lopez:

“A win is a win. After a bad start, she found a way to turn the situation around and she ended up winning the match.

“It’s about surviving sometimes. She doesn’t always look good on the court, tennis-wise, but she found a way and she will have another opportunity [in the fourth round].

“It showed that Coco is a great competitor and sometimes you win when being a better competitor than the rest. I think the belief is there.”

What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis in September?

• Jasmin Open, Tunisia – WTA 250 (9-15 September)
• Guadalajara Open, Mexico – WTA 500 (9-15 September)
• Korea Open – WTA 500 (16 -22 September – with Emma Raducanu in action)
• Thailand Open – WTA 250 (16 -22 September)
• Chengdu Open, China – ATP 250 (18-24 September)
• Hangzhou Open, China – ATP 250 (18-24 September)
• China Open – WTA 1000 (Sept 25 – Oct 6)
• Japan Open – ATP 500 (Sept 25 – Oct 1)
• China Open – ATP 500 (Sept 26 – Oct 2)

Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.