It took eight tries, but American Coco Gauff finally prevailed over Iga Swiatek. Gauff defeated the Swiatek, the No. 1 ranked women’s player, in the semifinals at the WTA/ATP Cincinnati Open on Saturday.
Gauff, 19, needed all three sets to defeat Swiatek. The two battled in the first set, taking it to a tiebreak. Gauff eventually prevailed in the tie break 7-2. It was the first time in her career Gauff took a set off Swiatek.
Before the momentum could fully shift toward Gauff, Swiatek battled back. She took the second set 6-3, forcing a third and final set against Gauff.
After another close back-and-forth, Gauff finally ended her losing streak against Swiatek, taking the final set 6-4.
When asked about her previous struggles against Swiatek, Gauff quoted Cardi B.
Gauff entered the tournament as the No. 7 ranked women’s player in the world. She could move up in the rankings following Saturday’s win. Swiatek, meanwhile, is in the midst of another excellent year. She won the Qatar Open in February, Stuttgart Open in April, French Open in May and Poland Open in July. Despite the loss, Swiatek is unlikely to lose her No. 1 ranking. She’ll look to get back on track in the U.S. Open, which is set to begin Aug. 28.
With the win Saturday, Gauff advances to the finals at the Cincinnati Open. She’ll take on Karolina Muchova, who defeated No. 2 ranked women’s player Aryna Sabalenka, in the finals Sunday.