EASTBOURNE, June 30 — 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 yesterday.
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 today‘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 today 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