- Sabalenka carried the day
- She defeated Coco Gauff
- Gauff described the match as tough but positive
Coco Gauff vs Aryna Sabalenka full match at the 2024 Australian Open ended in tears for the American tennis star.
Sabalenka carried the day as she sits in the finals of the women’s singles in Melbourne. The Belarusian is well on course to defend her Australian Open title which she won in 2023.
Their meet-up in Melbourne was a perfect revenge for Sabalenka who lost to Gauff at the 2023 US Open finals.
Coco Gauff vs Aryna Sabalenka Full Match Results
In a tight semifinal match, Sabalenka overcame the American fourth seed with 7-6 (7-2) 6-4. With six breaks in an error-riddled first set, both players were on edge until Sabalenka struck forcefully late in the second set.
The world No. 2 did not have it easy with Gauff who was all fired up to clinch her second Grand Slam this year.
There was a lot of excitement surrounding the match between Sabalenka and Gauff at the first Grand Slam of the year.
After advancing through the draw with excellent performances, both women will meet again in the US Open final, which the 19-year-old Gauff won in September to win her maiden major championship.
Due to the ongoing rain in Melbourne, both the first and second semifinals were held inside Rod Laver Arena.
Sabalenka had been very strong and hasn’t lost a set in the last two weeks despite displaying fortitude in overcoming difficult situations against Gauff.
Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka. Photo/Tennis.com
How Did Aryna Sabalenka Defeat Coco Gauff in Melbourne?
From the beginning, the 25-year-old Belarusian showed off her powerful game against Gauff. She smashed 33 wins and took advantage of her opponent’s second serve in a furious display of strength.
Although Sabalenka still made mistakes with her approach, she felt more comfortable at Melbourne Park this week after winning her first major championship there two weeks ago.
Now that she has maintained her poise to serve out the win, she is the first female semifinalist since Serena Williams in 2017.
She is so determined to maintain her lead as a two-time Australian Open winner.
“I think I was able to focus on myself and I was prepared for her moving really good and putting every ball back. I had to be ready to make an extra shot and I was ready for tonight,” she stated.
Sabalenka has at least made to the semifinals of the last six Grand Slam tournaments since 2022.
Why Did Coco Gauff Lose to Aryna Sabalenka?
After trailing behind Sabalenka and rallying to win in New York, Gauff achieved what had long seemed to be her destiny.
Sabalenka’s perfect start to the 2024 season came to an end, and she was unable to recreate the feat this time.
After winning a WTA title in Auckland, Gauff travelled to Melbourne and won her first four matches without dropping a set.
However, she appeared incredibly nervous in the opening moments of the semi-final after barely defeating Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in what she described as a “bad” quarter-final.
American tennis star Coco Gauff. Photo/Larry Brown Sports
Six double faults in the opening set demonstrated Gauff’s anxiety, but she also demonstrated her capacity for mental reset by coming back from a breakdown twice.
Gauff broke for 6-5 after taking so much pressure, but he lost the opportunity to serve out the set from 30-0 and paid the price as Sabalenka won the tie-break.
In the first and sixth games of the second set, Gauff needed to save more breakpoints, and it showed as Sabalenka broke for a 5-4 lead due to careless baseline errors.
Sabalenka gained the “revenge” she desired to exact on Gauff for her defeat at Flushing Meadows this time around by not letting the opportunity pass her by.
She described the match as ‘tough and positive’ at the same time.
“It was a tough match for me,” said Gauff, who looked close to tears while she left Rod Laver Arena. Overall it was a positive tournament. I had chances in both sets, but she played better. I think it just came down to a couple of points and that’s tennis,” she summed it up.
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