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51 unforced errors and tense matches: Coco Gauff’s tough Australian Open

Teguan Harris
Coco Gauff on a tennis court wearing a blue t-shirt and black sports leggings.

Teguan Harris

Coco Gauff defeated Marta Kostyuk in a tense tournament and lost out to Aryna Sabalenka.

American teen Coco Gauff experienced a tough tournament after challenging matches and flawed serves.

Gauff defeated Ukrainian tennis star Marta Kostyuk after 51 unforced errors, prevailing 7-6 (8-6) 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 in the quarterfinal. She advanced to the semi-final, where she faced off against defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, but she lost out on a place in the final.

In comparison to her 51 unforced errors, she hit only 17 winners. Gauff proved that she was nothing but a fighter, coming back from 5-1 down in the first set but failing to serve out the second.

“I didn’t play my best tennis.”

The match was a three-hour contest with a combination of 107 unforced errors between the two tennis stars. Despite a rough start to the match, Gauff fought back by winning five more games.

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When speaking on her “C grade” game after the quarterfinal, Gauff said: “I didn’t play my best tennis, but I was really proud that I was able to get through the match.”

Gauff stormed to the semi-final with the challenging tournament behind her. Regardless of a more uplifting match, Sabalenka defeated her before the final.

Gauff walked away from the Australian Open after losing 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 to the Belarusian tennis star, who defended her Australian Open title after Victoria Azarenka in 2012 and 2013.

“Tough match for me tonight,” Gauff said in reaction to her loss. “Overall, a positive tournament.”

C. Gauff vs M. Kostyuk

“I really fought and left it all out on the court today.”

Gauff faced a tough tournament after a tricky start to the semi-final.

Kostyuk flies ahead with a 5-1 lead while holding a set point on Gauff’s serve. With Kostyuk leading the match, Gauff faces an ambitious task to claw her way back to the top.

Under the blistering Australian sun, the pair faced off in a gruelling three-hour match, which saw Gauff put up a fight for the win. Kostyuk broke Gauff at the start of the second set.

Gauff fought back by breaking Kostyuk twice more and leading by 4-2 into her second serve. However, both struggled to defend their serve over the next three games.

Gauff still fought for the win. She gained back control of the match after winning the next five out of the six games. She battled with impetus in the final set, where she led 5-0. This and Gauff’s nine serves led to Kostyuk’s defeat, as she failed to fight back.

When speaking about her semi-final tournament, Gauff said, “I really fought and left it all out on the court today.”

“I’m really proud of the fight I showed today. Marta’s a tough opponent. Every time we play, it’s a tough match.”

C. Gauff vs A. Sabalenka

Sabalenka sought revenge against Gauff after losing to her at the US Open. After an astonishing semi-final match, Sabalenka can say that revenge is sweet.

“I had chances in both sets, but she played better tonight.”

It took her 71 minutes to beat Czech player Krejcikova in the thrilling quarterfinal. Sabalenka walked into the semi-finals with determination and drive to exact her revenge, and she did just that.

Speaking about facing off against Gauff, Sabalenka told the BBC: “After the US Open, I really wanted that revenge.

“It’s always a great battle against Coco—really great fights. I’m happy to play her, and I’m super excited to play the semi-final match.

“She’s moving really well. Everything you do on the court is coming back. She’s a great player, and I’m really excited to play her.”

Gauff’s taste of defeat was early on in the semi-final match when Sabalenka raced to a 2-0 lead after Gauff made faults in her first service game. Gauff put up a good fight after this setback, but Sabalenka bit harder; she moved 5-2 in front after breaking for a second time in the match.

Gauff used Sabalenka’s stumble when serving for the set and broke back, resulting in a tiebreak. Unfortunately for Gauff, Sabalenka found her groove and took the tiebreak to 7-2.

Both battled ferociously and left it all out on the court, bringing the match to 3-3. Gauff showed that she was not only a fighter but a survivor; she survived two breakpoints in the opening game of the second set.

Unfortunately, Gauff’s courageous effort was not enough to beat Sabalenka to the final. After going up 5-4, Sabalenka advanced to the final against Qinwen Zheng and won the Australian tournament. 

Gauff reflected on her loss after the match. “I had chances in both sets, but she played better tonight,” she said.

“At this stage in any tournament, but especially a Grand Slam, whether I lost 6-1 6-1, or like I did today, or in a third-set tiebreak, I still think it would hurt just as much.”

Takeaway

Gauff reached the semi-finals by the skin of her teeth after a lacklustre performance in last year’s tournament, which saw her knocked out in the fourth round.

Gauff had a tough road to the semi-final before ultimately losing out, but she is a fighter and still a force to be reckoned with. Despite her difficult match against Kostyuk, her ambition and demanding hunger for the win drove her to the semi-final.

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Featured image courtesy of Amaury Laporte via Flickr. No changes were made to the image. Image licence found here.

Writer and journalist. University graduate in English Literature. Book reader, word lover and Notion enthusiast.

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