World number two Coco Gauff has booked her place in the quarter-finals of the French Open for a fifth consecutive year, following an emphatic straight-sets victory over Russia’s 20th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
The 21-year-old American dominated the match, taking the first set 6-0 in just 29 minutes, dropping only five points in the opening five games. Though Alexandrova mounted a stronger challenge in the second set, Gauff held firm, eventually sealing a 6-0, 7-5 win on the clay courts of Roland Garros.
“The whole match I played well. She stepped up her game in the second set. Overall I thought I played great,”; Gauff said after her win, as quoted by Bleacher Report. “I move well on clay, really comfortable with sliding and moving on the surface. The most physical surface for sure and I do well in that department.”;
Her consistency at the French Open has now placed her in elite company. With this latest quarter-final appearance, Gauff becomes the youngest player since Venus Williams at the 2001 US Open to reach five or more women’s singles quarter-finals at a single Grand Slam tournament.
She will next face Australian Open champion Madison Keys, who defeated fellow American Hailey Baptiste 6-3, 7-5 in their fourth-round match.
