Coco Gauff’s US Open title defense came to an end on Sunday after she was beaten by Emma Navarro in the fourth round at Flushing Meadows.Gauff was looking to become the first woman to defend the US Open title since Serena Williams in 2014.
The third-seed Gauff was inconsistent in her 6-3 4-6 6-3 loss, with 19 double faults and a whopping 60 unforced errors. Three of those double faults came in the final game of the match which virtually handed the victory to her fellow American opponent.
Navarro has had success against Gauff in the past, beating her comprehensively just a couple of months ago in Wimbledon in the Round of 16.
The 23-year-old Navarro will face off against 26th seed Paula Badosa next in her quarter-final matchup. Badosa beat China’s Wang Yafan 6-1 6-2 earlier on Sunday to secure her place in the top 8. Navarro is the youngest American woman to reach the quarter-finals at both Wimbledon and the US Open in the same year since Williams in 2004.
Sabalenka Cruises Into Quarter-Finals
Second seed Aryna Sabalenka also moved into the quarter-finals by beating Belgian Elise Mertens 6-2, 6-4 in New York on Sunday night. It is the eighth consecutive time that Sabalenka has reached the final eight when she has played a Grand Slam.
The two are former doubles partners and have won the 2019 US Open and 2021 Australian Open women’s doubles titles together. Sabalenka recently has gotten out of the doubles circuit in order to focus on her singles game.
Sabalanka is coming off an injury which kept her out of Wimbledon earlier in the year. She looked in top form however, using her forehand to score 41 winners over her opponent.
Previously in the tournament, Sabalenka beat Australian qualifier Priscilla Hon (6-3, 6-3), Italian Lucia Bronzetti (6-3, 6-1) and Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova (2-6, 6-1, 6-2). She has only dropped the one set so far in four matches.
The Belarusian will likely face her toughest challenge yet when she takes on China’s Qinwen Zheng, the No 7 seed in the quarters. Zheng got through Croatian Donna Vekić in her Round of 16 match 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 6-2.
Americans Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe Advance
In the men’s singles draw, Americans Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe were able to push past the Round of 16 and make it to the last 8. Fritz went up against 2022 finalist Casper Ruud and notched a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 victory, while Tiafoe won 6-4, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3 victory against Alexei Popyrin.
Fritz got off to a tough start against Ruud but was able to weather the storm and come back strong in the second set. His meeting with fourth seeded Alexander Zverev later this week will be his third major quarterfinal of the season, and his fifth overall. Zverev reached the quarters and prevented an all-American matchup by beating Brandon Nakashima, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
Tiafoe had a relatively easy time against Alexei Popyrin, who had knocked out Novak Djokovic earlier in the third round. Popyrin did however capitalize on some lack of concentration in the third set, taking it 6-2 to make a match of it. Tiafoe was able to recover in the 4th however, breaking Popyrin twice to win 6-3.
The victory Tiafoe sends him through to the US Open quarters for the third straight year. He will meet a tough opponent in ninth seed Grigor Dimitrov next. The Bulgarian Dimitrov beat Andrey Rublev, 6-3, 7-6, 1-6, 3-6 to qualify for the quarter-finals.
Yet to play their Round of 16 match is Russian Daniil Medvedev, who remained as one of the favourites to take the tournament. He will need to beat Portugal’s Nuno Borges to setup a meeting with either Jack Draper or Tomas Machac.
