Coco Gauff defends Mirra Andreeva after tense US Open quarter-final
Coco Gauff leapt to the defence of Mirra Andreeva after the Russian teenager narrowly avoided hitting a cameraman with her racket during a dramatic US Open quarter-final collapse, reports BritPanorama.
Andreeva allowed two match points to slip away before suffering a painful 2-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 defeat on Arthur Ashe Stadium, sending home favourite Gauff through to the last four.
The 19-year-old’s frustration boiled over during the deciding set when she threw her racket towards the side of the court. It bounced dangerously close to a cameraman, and a different trajectory could have left Andreeva facing the possibility of being defaulted from the tournament.
Gauff, however, refused to criticise her opponent and insisted the incident did not reflect the teenager’s overall behaviour during an emotionally charged contest. “Honestly, I didn’t really see any negative reaction except for one racket throw at the changeover,” Gauff said.
“I felt like she was calm pretty much most of the match. I don’t know what the camera picked up, but I didn’t see any bad behaviour. If anything, at the beginning of the match, I was showing the most frustration.”
Gauff elaborated, noting the tension that can surface in high-stakes matches: “It’s normal. In the game, I could feel more tension as she started throwing in more errors. I mean she had one throw, but I may probably have done the same if I was in her position.”
Andreeva had initially appeared destined for the semi-finals after dominating a mistake-strewn opening set. Gauff struggled to find her rhythm and repeatedly surrendered cheap points as the Russian took control. Yet the American’s fortunes changed after she briefly left the court and drew inspiration from Frances Tiafoe’s comeback victory a day earlier.
“I just had to reset,” Gauff explained. “I came out at the start, not feeling the ball, giving her too many free points. Mirra was playing a great level, but when I went to the restroom after the first set, honestly, I was thinking about Frances Tiafoe and how he came back yesterday.”
Gauff also expressed her desire to perform well in front of the home crowd: “I was trying to leave the court with no regrets, I didn’t know what outcome would come. You guys really helped pull me through.”
Andreeva earned two match points during a tense second-set tie-break but was unable to convert either opportunity. Her game then unravelled as errors continued to mount, allowing Gauff to take command of the deciding set and complete an unlikely comeback in front of a jubilant New York crowd.
Gauff will face incoming world No 1 Elena Rybakina for a place in the US Open final after the Kazakh defeated Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. The home favourite previously won the title in 2023 when she defeated Aryna Sabalenka, and she also clinched the French Open last year.
As the tournament progresses, Gauff’s performance underscores not only her competitive spirit but also the raw emotions that often accompany high-pressure matches. This latest clash between youth and experience leaves the audience anticipating what’s next on the hallowed courts of Flushing Meadows.
