Host. Andy Taylor. The Voice of the US Open
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Coco Vandeweghe def Lucie Safarova 64 76(2)
2004 US Open. Lyndsay Davenport. Serena Williams. Jennifer Capriatti. That’s the last time there were three American women in the Quarterfinals.
With Coco Vandeweghe’s win over Lucie Safarova on Labor Day…13-years later, three are through to the Quarters again. Coco Vandeweghe. Venus Williams. Sloane Stephens. If Madison Keys gets past World #4 Elina Svitolina tonight, it’ll be four.
Vandeweghe played her best tennis Monday in the key moments. She and Safarova both held through 5-4, with Lucie serving to stay in the set. Coco cranked up the intensity and scored the first break of the match to take the lead. Timely.
In the second, Lucie struck first and went up a break before the second changeover. Coco returned the favor, and they held through the tiebreak. In the breaker, Vandeweghe won the final 6-points of the match, punctuating the victory with an ace.
Looks can be deceiving
Simply checking the scoreline shows a dominant win for Coco. That wasn’t the case. This was a hell of a match with precision and consistency from both. Vandeweghe was better in the big moments, when the pressure mounted at end of each set. For the third time this year, Coco Vandeweghe has reached week-2 of a Major.
Can she match her Grand Slam best Semifinal run earlier this year in Melbourne? It’s a tough ask. World #1 Karolina Pliskova awaits in the Quaterfinals. Coco has beaten the Czech twice before, but Pliskova won a tight 2-setter in their most recent match earlier this year on clay in Stuttgart.
