“Not gotten chance to beat her yet but I’m feeling great” – Coco Gauff gears up for Iga Swiatek challenge in Cincinnati Open SF
Coco Gauff is positive about her chances against Iga Swiatek in the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open on Saturday, August 19.
Gauff registered a comfortable straight-sets (6-3, 6-2) win over Italy's Jasmine Paolini on Friday to reach her third WTA 1000 semifinal. The seventh seed broke her opponent's serve six times and had an impressive first-serve percentage of 69.6%
Swiatek, meanwhile, beat the reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 7-6(3), 6-1 on her way to her 10th semifinal of the year.
Gauff sat down with the Tennis Channel to reflect on her performance over the past week. The 19-year-old believes she has found the right balance between attack and defense.
"I think just doing really well on those 30-All, Break Points and those type of points… playing aggressive tennis not always playing passively and just finding the right balance between being aggressive and picking the right targets and in also the way I’ve been able to bounce back after getting broken or you know losing a tough point… I think I’ve been doing good mentally," she said.
Gauff, who has not dropped a set throughout the Cincinnati Open so far, said she was "feeling great" ahead of her clash with Swiatek.
“I’m really excited. I’ve always said ‘You wanna be the best, you have to beat the best’. You know, right now she [Iga Swiatek] is the best on tour and I have (laughs) not gotten a chance to beat her yet but I’m feeling great and I’m hoping that this time I can really prove myself and prove how much of adjustments and improvements that I have made and come out with a win,” she added.
Gauff is winless in her seven meetings with Swiatek. She is yet to take a set off the World No. 1.
"You never know what she's going to come up with" - Iga Swiatek on Coco Gauff
During a press conference after downing Marketa Vondrousova, Iga Swiatek said she would be ready for the challenge posed by Coco Guaff.
"Coco Gauff, obviously we played plenty of times. I kind of know her game. But you never know what she's going to come up with," she said. "I'll be ready and kind of focus on myself."
Swiatek also spoke about the improvements she has made to her volleying skills, adding that she is not as stressed going up to the net as she used to be.
"I do overall every day few minutes more on the volley for like almost two years now," she said. "It's not like I go on the net and I'm so stressed as I was two years ago. So I feel like I can do something, so it gives me hope."