US player Coco Gauff reacts as she plays against US Jessica Pegula during their women's singles quarter-final tennis match at the Rothesay Eastbourne International tennis tournament in Eastbourne, southern England US player Coco Gauff reacts as she plays against US Jessica Pegula during their women's singles quarter-final tennis match at the Rothesay Eastbourne International tennis tournament in Eastbourne, southern England, on June 29, 2023. Picture: Glyn Kirk/AFP
Eastbourne - Coco Gauff secured her first win over a top-ten player in 10 months by beating doubles partner Jessica Pegula 6-3, 6-3 in the quarter-finals of the Eastbourne International on Thursday.
The 19-year-old American won the last six games of the match from 3-0 down in the second set to snap a seven-match losing streak against top-10 opposition.
The world number seven will face another compatriot in the semi-finals of the grass court tournament -- 2014 champion Madison Keys, who beat Petra Martic 6-4, 6-1.
After an early exchange of breaks, Gauff pounced in the sixth game. A clever drop shot enabled her to move up 4-2 and she maintained her lead for the rest of the opening set.
World number four Pegula struck back at the start of the second set, taking advantage of a series of forehand errors from Gauff to break and then coming up with a fine lob to hold for 3-0.
Gauff turned the tide, producing a series of deftly executed volley winners to level the set, going on to wrap up her victory in style.
"I'm really happy with how I played. I obviously know Jess very well, she's one of the best players on the tour for a reason," Gauff told the BBC.
Ninth seed Daria Kasatkina reached the last four when second seed Caroline Garcia retired with a right shoulder injury. Kasatkina was leading 6-2, 2-1 at the time.
In Friday's semi-final, Kasatkina will face Camila Giorgi, who also advanced via retirement.
Giorgi won the first set against Jelena Ostapenko on a tie-break before Ostapenko retired from their big-hitting clash.
In the men's tournament, Australian Open semi-finalist Tommy Paul beat fellow American J.J. Wolf 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/2).
"It was a tricky one. A lot of breaks, breaks back," said Paul, who said grass is his favourite surface.
"In the third, I thought I played a really good tie-break in the end. I thought the level throughout the whole match was good and I'm happy to get through."
Paul will face Gregoire Barrere on Friday after the Frenchman beat Serbian eighth seed Miomir Kecmanovic 7-5, 7-6 (7/2).
Argentine fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo advanced to his first tour-level semi-final on grass with a 6-2, 6-3 win against Zhang Zhizhen.
American Mackenzie McDonald beat Mikael Ymer of Sweden 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
AFP