Coco Gauff, of the United States, reacts to the group after defeating Jelena Ostapenko, of Latvia, in the course of the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023, in New York.

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Manu Fernandez/AP

Coco Gauff, of the United States, reacts to the group after defeating Jelena Ostapenko, of Latvia, in the course of the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023, in New York.

Manu Fernandez/AP

NEW YORK — Coco Gauff is aware of what it takes to succeed in a Grand Slam last. Been there, completed that. What she hasn’t skilled is profitable a significant championship. So her first journey to the semifinals on the U.S. Open doesn’t go away her happy in any respect, regardless of how dominant the efficiency was that obtained her to that stage.

“The dreams never came with the people in the stands and autographs. That was never in the dreams,” the 19-year-old from Florida mentioned. “It was just, like, the trophy.”

That {hardware} is getting nearer. Gauff dealt simply advantageous with the warmth, the humidity and a big-hitting opponent to defeat Jelena Ostapenko 6-0, 6-2 on Tuesday, turning into the primary American teenager to succeed in the ultimate 4 at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams in 2001.

“Even though (by) the semifinals, (in) theory, if you want to win, there’s two matches left, you can’t think like that,” the sixth-seeded Gauff mentioned. “I’m still in the mindset that I’m in the beginning of the tournament. That’s what I have learned in the past (from) being in quarterfinals: Before, I would think, ‘Close to the end.’ But right now, I have the mentality that I told myself, ‘I still have another two weeks to play.’ So that’s where my mind is at. Then, obviously when it’s over, it’s over. But right now, I’m just saying, ‘Another two weeks.'”

This was the sixteenth victory in her previous 17 matches for Gauff, who will face No. 10 Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic on Thursday. Muchova, who made it to the French Open last in June, additionally used a terrific begin — saving the 9 break factors she confronted within the opening set, multi function recreation — to get previous No. 30 Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-0, 6-3 at night time.

A 12 months in the past right now, Muchova was ranked 235th and exited the U.S. Open within the first spherical. But she confirmed off each little bit of the range she possesses to build up a 32-12 benefit in winners in opposition to Cirstea, who was showing in her first Slam quarterfinal since 2009.

For Gauff, a first-round exit at Wimbledon in July positive seems like ages in the past.

She reached the ultimate at Roland Garros final 12 months, however misplaced that title match to Iga Swiatek; they may have met once more within the U.S. Open quarterfinals. But Swiatek did not make it, as a substitute shedding to Ostapenko within the fourth spherical. That defeat not solely ended Swiatek’s title protection but additionally meant she’s going to relinquish her spot at No. 1 within the WTA rankings to Aryna Sabalenka subsequent week.

“I was shocked,” Gauff mentioned.

When she is on the mark, as she was Sunday night time in opposition to Swiatek, 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko, a 26-year-old from Latvia, will be as difficult an opponent as there may be, as a result of she goes for broke on practically each stroke. If the balls land in, she is in enterprise. When they do not, she is in hassle.

She completed with 36 unforced errors Tuesday; Gauff had 14.

“Honestly,” mentioned Ostapenko, who beat Gauff on the Australian Open in January, “I was expecting a little bit more from her today.”

Ostapenko complained that she had a brief turnaround as a result of that victory over Swiatek ended so late after which the Gauff match was so early — it started shortly after midday, with the temperature at 90 levels Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) and the humidity above 50%, prompting a rule change about the usage of the roofs on the 2 largest arenas.

“I was pretty sure (I was) going to play at night session, because that’s what they told me,” Ostapenko mentioned. “When the schedule came out, I saw I’m playing first match and was, like, ‘Wow, that’s a little bit strange scheduling.'”

Tournament referee Jake Garner mentioned Ostapenko’s group didn’t request — and was not knowledgeable she would obtain — a late begin.

“She certainly wasn’t told anything from me or anybody on the referee’s staff. There’s always conversations between coaches, players to the referee’s, team tournament management, about the schedule, but I don’t believe that she was promised anything about specifically when she would play,” Garner mentioned. “And that would be very unusual for anybody to be promised anything that far in advance.”

In males’s motion, Ben Shelton, a 20-year-old American, reached his first Grand Slam semifinal, and now meets 23-time main champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia.

Ben Shelton, of the United States, reacts after defeating Frances Tiafoe, of the United States, in the course of the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023, in New York.

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Ben Shelton, of the United States, reacts after defeating Frances Tiafoe, of the United States, in the course of the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023, in New York.

Charles Krupa/AP

The unseeded Shelton beat No. 10 Frances Tiafoe 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2 at night time within the first Grand Slam quarterfinal between two African-American males within the Open period. Djokovic obtained previous No. 9 Taylor Fritz of the U.S. 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.

Gauff, naturally, had the pro-American crowd on her aspect. They applauded and yelled for her even earlier than she stepped out on court docket, reacting when she was proven on the world’s video screens throughout a prematch TV interview.

The roars crescendoed when Gauff was launched earlier than play started.

And as soon as it did, she obtained off to about nearly as good a begin as potential, grabbing 12 of the preliminary 15 factors for a 3-0 lead after simply 10 minutes.

Gauff did not must attempt to pressure issues. To her credit score, she did not. What she did do was use her instincts, smarts and pace to get to Ostapenko’s finest groundstrokes and ship them again over to the opposite aspect. That exemplary protection would lengthen factors, as a rule, till Ostapenko erred.

“Today was the best match I’ve played, for sure,” Gauff mentioned, “even though it wasn’t how I like to play.”