How Coco Gauff set impressive French Open record and followed in Serena Williams’ footsteps
Tennis legend Chris Evert has given her assessment of Coco Gauff’s performance in her French Open quarter-final win against Madison Keys.
Gauff defeated world No 8 Keys 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-1 on Court Phillipe-Chatrier to progress to her second successive French Open semi-final and third in total.
At the age of 21 years and 73 days, Gauff has become the youngest American woman in the Open Era to win 25 matches at Roland Garros.
The world No 2 is the youngest American to reach back-to-back French Open semi-finals since a 16-year-old Andre Jaeger in 1982.
Gauff’s triumph against Keys was her 10th victory over a top 10 player at a major, making her the youngest player to reach that landmark since Serena Williams in 2002.
Commentating on TNT Sports, Evert praised Gauff’s fighting qualities and the level she found in the third set.
“She’s a fighter,” said the former world No 1. “She’s known to be a fighter. Ever since she was 15, she’s played professional tennis and got herself out of holes. She’s as good as anybody, and she never quits. She’s got a good heart out there.
“Didn’t play her best, and had to deal with Madison’s big forehand that gave her trouble, but in the end, she came through in the third set and played almost a flawless set. She looked so happy and relieved at the same time.
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“It was a very nervy match. Both players couldn’t find their game in the first and second sets. They were gutsy, they were fighters, but in the third set, Coco found it.
“Madi, I’m sure, is disappointed in her play. She had her chances for sure, but it was Gauff who was mentally toughest.”
During the match, Evert had admitted she was shocked by the performance of both players.
“This has been a sketchy match,” the 18-time Grand Slam champion declared.
“You can look at the stats. It’s almost more than three times the amount of unforced errors than winners.
“It’s that they’re not playing their best games. It’s the quarter-finals of a major and they haven’t found their best games yet. They’re not consistent, they’re up and down.
“They’re hitting great shots, one or two great points, and then one or two bad points. And that’s not going to win you a major. For sure. Okay, you have to deal with not playing well, but then you figure it out. What are you doing wrong on your shots?
“I’m shocked, both of them. I can see one player being really tight and not playing well, but both are not playing well.”
Gauff will face either Mirra Andreeva or Lois Boisson in the last four of the Paris major.
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