Coco Gauff grinds past Marta Kostyuk to reach Australian Open semi-finals

Coco Gauff, the reigning US Open champion, faced a formidable challenge from the unseeded Marta Kostyuk on Tuesday, but managed to secure her spot in the semi-finals of the Australian Open.

The Ukrainian player was worn down by the American fourth seed in the intense heat on Rod Laver Arena. The match lasted three hours and eight minutes, with the fourth seed eventually winning 7-6 (8-6), 6-7 (3-7), 6-2. The fourth seed will now face either defending champion Aryna Sabalenka or ninth-seeded Barbora Krejcikova in the semi-finals on Thursday.

Despite her strong performance in the previous rounds, the 19-year-old American did not have a convincing display in this match. She struggled with her serve and missed several opportunities. However, she expressed her happiness and pride in the fight she showed on the court.

Both players had a low standard of play, with a total of 16 service breaks and 107 unforced errors between them. Kostyuk will regret missing her chances, especially when she had a 5-1 lead and set points in the first set.

The American also had her moments of faltering, particularly when she was serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set. However, she managed to keep her composure in the deciding set.

Gauff mentioned that she was focused on making the first set competitive and then tried to play aggressively in the third set. Her win in this match extends her unbeaten streak to 10 matches this year, as she had previously won at Auckland.

It is worth noting that Gauff has reached the semi-finals without facing any seeded players, as several top names were eliminated early in the tournament.