Coco Gauff secured her third consecutive victory, advancing to the ASB Classic semifinals after defeating 8th seed Varvara Gracheva (No. 42) with a score of 6-1, 6-1. The American once again progressed without dropping a set, remaining on track for the Auckland title defense.
World No. 3 arrived after comfortable victories over Claire Liu (6-4, 6-2) and Brenda Fruhvirtova (6-3, 6-0). On Gracheva’s side, she fought in the first round to overcome Tereza Martincova (6-7, 7-5, 6-2) and Lulu Radovcic (6-3, 6-4) in her debut at the ASB Classic. Having conceded just 11 games in three matches, Gauff will face compatriot Emma Navarro (No. 31) in the semifinals.
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Coco Gauf shines
In the first set, Gauff claimed an early break after six minutes, quickly taking a comfortable 3-0 lead with her serve. While Gracheva managed to hold her serve, Gauff won three consecutive games, securing the first set 6-1 in just 25 minutes. The 2023 US Open champion had a 71% first serve, winning 71% of service points and 56% on returns. Gauff capitalized on crucial moments in the set, converting the only two break opportunities created.
The second set posed minimal challenges for Coco as she secured two consecutive breaks, both on her first opportunities, taking a 4-0 lead. Although Gracheva defended her serve for the first time in the set, Gauff dominated with her serve and secured another break in the most contested game of the match, closing the score 6-1, 6-1.
The match concluded in just 53 minutes, with Gauff winning 64% of the points and not conceding any break opportunities to the French player. The 19-year-old youngster secured her third consecutive victory, showcasing her readiness for the upcoming Australian Open, where she will be the third seed in the tournament.
In the semifinals, Gauff will face 4th seed Emma Navarro (No. 31), a 22-year-old American who has had a remarkable campaign in Auckland, on the verge of entering the top-30 for the first time in her career. Navarro defeated 7th seed Petra Martic (No. 40) 6-4, 6-3 in the previous round.