Stephen Dunmoye
Coco Gauff, the American tennis player, staged a remarkable comeback on Saturday night to beat Aryna Sabalenka, her Belarusian counterpart, and secure her first US Open women’s title.
The 19-year-old came back from a set down against Sabalenka to claim her first ever Grand Slam in a three sets of 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 at Flushing Meadows.
The first set, which lasted 40 minutes, saw Sabalenka finished the frame with 8 winners to 14 unforced errors to claim it 6-2!
A well-placed down-the-line forehand gave Gauff the perfect start in her bid to serve out the set. She then brought the house down with a perfectly constructed point at 30-15, closing it out with a simple volley and sealing the set at 6-3!
With three championship points at stake in the third set, Gauff only needed one to close the show — and she did in style with a backhand winner on the run to settle an 11-shot rally to win her first US Open title.
Gauff became the youngest American woman to reach the US Open final since Serena Williams in 1999.
It is believed that she will become the new number 3 in the women’s tennis when the new rankings is released on Monday.
Gauff now has a 4-2 head to head record against the Belarusian. She also took home $3 million in prize for winning the US Open.
