Coco Gauff Battles Back to Beat Elina Svitolina

Don't call it a comeback, but Coco Gauff did pull off a massive come-from-behind victory on Friday afternoon. Gauff defeated Elina Svitolina in three sets: 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

The third-seeded Gauff played a sloppy first set, including 16 unforced errors (nine on backhands) and only landing 45% of her first serves in. However, she gradually improved as the match continued.

Gauff explained, "I tried to be more aggressive on my forehand side and tried to make less errors on the backhand."

Coco Gauff’s title defense is still alive! pic.twitter.com/4nX00ikVw4
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2024

As Gauff's play improved, so did the mood among the star-studded crowd in attendance at Arthur Ashe Stadium. After a stellar cross-court forehand winner in the second set, Gauff celebrated and encouraged the crowd to get louder.

"My team was kind of like telling me that (the fans) were on the edge of their seats. So I said, 'Okay, I need to erupt so you guys can erupt.'"

With today's victory, Gauff becomes the youngest woman to win ten or more consecutive matches at the US Open since Serena Williams. She also became the sixth American woman to win 60+ Grand Slam matches in the Open Era before age 21.

Ben Shelton or Frances Tiafoe?

Coco Gauff isn’t picking sides 🙃 pic.twitter.com/pbiuF09uq8
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2024

Gauff has advanced to quarterfinals, where she will play the winner of Friday's match between Emma Navarro and Marta Kostyuk. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.

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