American tennis player Coco Gauff, seeded No. 3, displayed her resilience in the second set of her match against Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska at the French Open. Gauff secured a 6-2, 6-4 victory, advancing to the fourth round and getting closer to breaking her three-year dry spell on clay courts.
Daniil Medvedev, the champion of the US Open, displayed impressive form in the opening set against Yastremska, who surprisingly made it to the semifinals of the Australian Open. Although he faced some difficulties in the second set, Medvedev has been a dominant force on clay, winning his last title on this surface in 2021 and reaching the final in Paris in 2022.
“I faced her in Madrid, and she has a strong game when she’s playing from a defensive position,” Gauff explained. “I was aware that finishing the match would be challenging. I had a chance to close it out on my serve in the previous game.”
In the previous match, she managed to hit three or four balls right on the edge of the line, creating a challenging situation. It was quite a task to maintain focus and not let frustration take over. However, she is relieved to have persevered and overcome the obstacles in the game.
In the upcoming match, Gauff will be going head-to-head against the 51st-ranked tennis player from Italy, Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
Yastremska, the talented Ukrainian player currently ranked 32nd in the world, has been making a strong comeback after her career was temporarily derailed by a provisional doping ban last year, which was subsequently lifted. However, in this match, her performance was inconsistent, especially considering her powerful style of play. She struggled with her serve and made a costly error by hitting a wide backhand, giving Gauff an early break.
Gauff effortlessly secured the set, capitalizing on Yastremska’s mounting unforced errors with another break.
In the second set, Gauff faced multiple breaks from her opponent, which posed a challenge for her as she struggled with her first serve.
Despite double-faulting in consecutive service games, Gauff held firm and clinched the win, even though Yastremska seemed to have found her range and a way back into the match. Gauff had a match point at 5-2, showing her resilience and determination.
In an intense match lasting three hours and eight minutes, Serbian qualifier Olga Danilovic showed incredible resilience as she came back from a first-set bagel to defeat Croatian player Donna Vekic. The match ended with a thrilling tiebreak, with Danilovic securing a 0-6, 7-5, 7-6 (8) victory and advancing to the last 16.
In a nail-biting final set, Vekic had two opportunities to serve for the match. However, Danilovic’s unwavering determination allowed her to snatch a thrilling victory in the tiebreak.
“I can’t even find the words to express my gratitude for the support I received during this match,” Danilovic exclaimed. “I’m truly enjoying my experience here, but I’m still in disbelief over how I managed to win. I was trailing behind multiple times throughout the match.”
“I am extremely grateful to all the fans who have braved the numerous rain delays to come and watch. Thank you so much… The combination of my love for clay and my love for Paris has made this experience of advancing through to the next stage for the first time truly special to me.”