American Coco Gauff, the US Open champion, crushed her French opponent Varvara Gracheva 6-1, 6-1 today, Friday, advancing to the semifinals of the Auckland tennis tournament. This victory continues her impressive performance as she prepares for the Australian Open, the first of the four Grand Slam tournaments of the new season, which will take place at Melbourne Park starting January 14.
After the win, Gauff said, "I focused on delivering my performance," adding, "I think I executed some very good serves... perhaps the best so far in the tournament, which I aimed to achieve during the season preparation. I am really happy with my performance."
The match start was delayed due to rain, but the 19-year-old Gauff took control right from the beginning, finishing the victory in 53 minutes and continuing her title defense without losing a set so far while not facing any break points today.
In the first set, Gauff, ranked third in the world, quickly took the lead, before clinching the second set and the match, setting up a semifinal matchup with fellow American Emma Navarro.
