French tornado Caroline Garcia advances to her first Grand Slam semi-final
[ad_1]
His destructive arm has, once again, done the job. Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia qualified for the semi-finals of the US Open on Tuesday September 6 by beating the young American Coco Gauff with authority in two sets (6-3, 6-4).
This is the first time that Caroline Garcia has reached the last four of a Grand Slam tournament in singles, she who has won Roland-Garros twice in doubles with her compatriot Kristina Mladenovic, notably in June 2022.
Arrived in full confidence in New York, the 28-year-old Frenchwoman, 17e world player, showed impressive consistency in front of an audience that was nevertheless committed to the cause of her opponent of the day, Coco Gauff, better ranked (12e).
“The Buzzing Head”
“I don’t know how to describe what I feel, the energy was crazy, my head is buzzing”explained Caroline Garcia after the meeting.
With a furious fist as usual after each important point won, the Lyonnaise unfolded her score wonderfully, taking the ball very early and dictating her law in the exchanges, as she has done since the start of the New York tournament. Under permanent pressure, Coco Gauff, finalist of the last Roland-Garros, never found the parade (twenty-four unforced errors, twenty-six caused errors against the American).
Caroline Garcia thus managed the entry break in the first set by benefiting from a double fault from her opponent. Then she managed a double break thanks to a passing-shot that was a priori easy from Gauff but played too long. Trailing 0-4, the young American was a little more aggressive to regain a serve from her opponent, but the Frenchwoman immediately took control of the match and converted 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, in front of her parents, on her first match point, not without having saved a break point at 3-2.
No set lost since the start of the tournament
The Frenchwoman has still not lost a single set against her opponents, and has only conceded twenty-seven games in five matches.
“I have always played aggressively, it turns out that for the past few months I have been in good enough physical shape to play this game and continue on this path”recalls the one who, after four years of doubts and injuries, won three tournaments this season, including the last in Cincinnati (Ohio) in August, when she was qualified.
The most impressive player since the start of the US Open, Caroline Garcia has just scored a thirteenth victory in a row. Former world number four 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 the latter won Wimbledon in 2013. Caroline Garcia will try on Thursday to reach the final by facing Tunisian Ons Jabeur (5e), finalist of the last Wimbledon. And she does not hide her ambitions: Jabeur, “Since juniors, she’s been strong. I can’t wait to take up this challenge.”launched the French whose rating in New York continues to rise.
[ad_2]
Source link
