Coco Gauff has advanced to the semi-finals of Roland Garros on Wednesday. Compatriot and reigning Australian Open winner Madison Keys was defeated with 6-7, 6-4, and 6-1.
In the first set, both Americans hardly gave each other an inch. Keys took a 4-1 lead, but Gauff fought back and even took a 4-5 lead.
Keys also showed resilience and eventually it came to a tiebreak. This time Gauff took the lead, but Keys had the last word. At 6-6, she took two points in a row, winning the tiebreak and the first set.
In the second set, the match was also evenly matched. Gauff quickly took a two-break lead, but was then broken twice by Keys. That resulted in a 4-4 score, after which Gauff took another break. She won 6-4 and forced a third set.
In that set, Keys collapsed. She immediately surrendered her service game and Gauff thundered on. After the exciting first two sets, this decisive set ended in 6-1 in no time.
Gauff will face Mirra Andreeva or Loïs Boisson in the semi-finals. The Russian number six in the world and the French revelation will play the fourth and final quarter-final on Thursday afternoon. Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek had already qualified for the semi-finals on Tuesday.