"Definitely wasn't expecting 40 minutes, but it didn't affect much" - Coco Gauff on 'planning' for Iga Swiatek's double bagel win in French Open 4R
Coco Gauff has opened up about her lack of surprise at Iga Swiatek's swift victory over Anastasia Potapova in the fourth round of the 2024 French Open. Gauff, who played immediately after Swiatek's dominant win on Court Philippe-Chatrier, candidly discussed whether the Pole's quick win impacted her preparations for her match.
Swiatek was at her clinical best against Potapova, securing a resounding 6-0, 6-0 victory in just 40 minutes to set a new record for the shortest match of her career. The World No. 1 herself expressed astonishment at how quickly the match ended, admitting that the experience felt "pretty weird."
Gauff stepped onto the court after the two-time defending champion's triumph, taking on Elisabetta Cocciaretto. The American secured a dominant win of her own, beating Cocciaretto 6-1, 6-2 in an hour to book her place in the quarterfinals.
In her post-match press conference, Coco Gauff opened up about always expecting a quick match when following Iga Swiatek on the court, given the Pole's tendency to 'bagel' (6-0) and 'breadstick' (6-1) her opponents.
Although the 20-year-old admitted that she hadn't foreseen the match ending quite as swiftly as it did, she emphasized that the quick conclusion didn't disrupt her preparations, as she and her team had planned for this eventuality.
"I figured that the match, usually if you're after her, you know it's probably going to be a quick match, so I figured the match would probably go an hour, an hour 15 at the quickest," Coco Gauff said.
"I definitely wasn't expecting 40 minutes, but it didn't really affect much because I kinda knew and we planned for it. So, it's one of those things you kinda plan for the fastest case scenario and I didn't feel affected by how fast it went," she added.
Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek remain on course for blockbuster SF clash at French Open 2024
Following her win over Anastasia Potapova, Iga Swiatek will take on fifth seed Marketa Vondrousova in a high-profile quarterfinal clash at the French Open. The World No. 1 will head into the meeting with confidence, holding a perfect 3-0 record against Vondrousova.
Coco Gauff, meanwhile, will battle it out against eighth seed Ons Jabeur for a place in the semifinals. The World No. 3 enjoys a 4-2 lead in her head-to-head record against Jabeur, including a victory in their fourth-round clash at the 2021 French Open.
If both Swiatek and Gauff emerge victorious in the quarterfinals, they will set up a highly anticipated semifinal clash in Paris. The potential encounter will mark their meeting at Roland Garros for the third consecutive year.
Iga Swiatek has triumphed in both their previous meetings at the claycourt Major, claiming a commanding 6-1, 6-3 win over Coco Gauff in the 2022 final and beating the American 6-4, 6-2 in their quarterfinal clash last year.