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The French Caroline Garcia, 17th in the world, dominated the American Coco Gauff (6-3, 6-4) on Tuesday at the US Open in New York. She thus qualifies for her first semi-final of a Grand Slam tournament.
Caroline Garcia, 17e world player, had never passed the third round of the New York Major. She qualified on Tuesday, September 6, at the US Open for her first semi-final of a Grand Slam tournament by clearly dominating the American Coco Gauff (12e) 6-3, 6-4.
“I don’t know how to describe how I feel, the energy was crazy, my head is buzzing,” said the 28-year-old Frenchwoman.
>> To read also, our portrait: the beautiful rebirth of the Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia, victorious in Cincinnati
The Lyonnaise thus lined up a 13e straight win since qualifying in Cincinnati, where she clinched the tenth title of her career just before coming to New York. Former world number 4 dropped to 79e rank of the WTA on May 23, 2022, it should return to the top 10 at the end of the tournament.
She also becomes the first French player to reach the last four of a Major since Marion Bartoli when she won Wimbledon in 2013.
An aggressive game
Faced with Gauff, who had beaten her in their two previous meetings, in Indian Wells in 2021 and Doha in 2022, Garcia immediately took the match in hand by imposing her power, her speed, and by putting Gauff under a pressure that the American, finalist of the last Roland-Garros, could not bear (24 unforced errors, 26 caused errors).
“I have always played aggressively, it turns out that in recent months I have been in good enough physical shape to play this game and continue on this path,” she said.
Garcia thus managed the entry break in the first set by benefiting from a double fault from his opponent. Then she managed a double break thanks to a seemingly easy passing shot from Gauff but which she played too long.
Trailing 4-0, Gauff played a little more aggressively to take back a serve from Garcia, but the Frenchwoman got her hands on the match and won her first set point. She followed up with a new entry break in the second set and did not let go of her advantage to conclude on her first match point, not without having saved a break point at 3-2.
The Frenchwoman will try on Thursday to reach the final by facing Ons Jabeur (5e), finalist of the last Wimbledon. The Tunisian became the first player from the Arab world to reach the last four at Flushing Meadows.
With AFP
