It was not so long ago that Coco Gauff was the teenage sensation looking to cause an upset at the US Open.
Now, at the grand old age of 22, she is the Grand Slam champion and leading WTA Tour star who drew on her experience to deal with talented 18-year-old Iva Jovic at Flushing Meadows.
Fourth seed Gauff found her finest level of the fortnight to beat fellow American Jovic in a 6-1 6-4 win which secured her place in the quarter-finals.
Gauff’s comfortable progress ensured the top six seeds have reached the US Open women’s last eight for the first time since 1998, further illustrating the strength in depth at the top of the WTA Tour.
Gauff, who won the 2023 title in New York, continues her quest for a third major title against French Open champion Mirra Andreeva on Wednesday.
The pair are among five Grand Slam winners in a strong quarter-final line-up which also features reigning Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen.
“The women’s field is in such a healthy, strong position,” former world number five Daniela Hantuchova said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
“It’s one of those tournaments where anyone can take it from here.”
Jovic is already ranked well inside the top 20 and predicted for even greater things, meaning the fourth-round match was seen by some as a potential banana skin for Gauff.
Gauff – who could become world number one if she wins the title – responded with a resounding victory.
The pair immediately put each other under pressure in a physical start to the match, exchanging breaks of serve as the opening three games consisted of 24 points and stretched over 17 minutes.
It gave little indication to how Gauff would be able to quickly seize control.
But once she broke again for 3-1 she was able to continue pounding Jovic’s defence with her consistency from the baseline.
Signs of the emotional energy which 14th seed Jovic exerted in her previous victory over her close friend Alexandra Eala – an epic lasting over three hours – started to show as Gauff won 13 of the final 15 points to wrap up the opening set in 33 minutes.
But the way Jovic bounced back in a competitive second set illustrated why she is so highly rated.
The teenager, who has Serb parents and has been mentored by Novak Djokovic, showed her mental resolve to fight off four break points and rediscovered her ability to land explosive winners.
Jovic could not save a fifth as she trailed 3-2 and although she instantly broke back, Gauff’s supreme athleticism and quality continued to wear her more inexperienced opponent down.
“Iva is an incredible player and an incredible talent, she plays beyond her years,” said Gauff.
“I’m looking forward to many more battles out here, I’m sure we will be playing a lot more matches in the future.”
ByPaul Battison, BBC Sport Journalist
Earlier on Monday, Elena Rybakina swept aside two-time champion Naomi Osaka to reach the quarter-finals of the US Open and close in on becoming world number one.
The second seed overpowered 13th seed Osaka to win 6-1 6-4 on Louis Armstrong Stadium to set up a quarter-final against Zheng.
Kazakhstan’s Rybakina will become world’s leading player for the first time if she reaches the semi-finals in New York – even if top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka goes on to defend her title.
China’s Zheng came from 5-0 down in the first set of her fourth-round match to beat former champion Iga Swiatek.
“Of course I want it, I don’t know anyone who won’t want this,” Rybakina said of the number one ranking.
“I tried to approach it the same way and do everything I can, and fight to the end of my next match.
“If I serve as well as I did today, I think I can do well. Let’s hope it goes my way.”
Elena Rybakina is a two-time Grand Slam champion
Rybakina, 27, dropped only four points in a near flawless performance on serve against four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka, who said after the match she was struggling with pain in her leg.
She faced the 28-year-old full of confidence, having not dropped a set in her opening three matches at the tournament, and took control of the contest in a dominant first set.
Reigning Australian Open champion Rybakina opened up a double break over Osaka, before sealing the set in just 21 minutes.
Osaka showed greater resistance early in the second set but, after failing to convert her only break point of the match, Rybakina soon seized control again.
She broke to go 4-3 up, before safely seeing out the rest of the match, with Osaka unable to contend with her opponent’s deep groundstrokes.
Rybakina sealed the match inside 66 minutes with her seventh ace of a match where she hit a total of 29 winners to Osaka’s nine.
Asked about the gap of almost six years since her last major win, at the 2021 Australian Open, Osaka said: “I thought about it, and if I win another Grand Slam, it’s not going to change my life.
“That’s kind of crazy that I can say that, because I remember the first Slam that I won, it was, like, a huge whirlwind.”
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