Gauff in French Open breakthrough

PARIS: American teenager Coco Gauff on Monday became the youngest woman to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final in 15 years as she swept to an impressive 53-minute, 6-3, 6-1 win over Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur at the French Open.

At just 17, she is the youngest woman to reach the last eight of a Slam since Nicole Vaidisova who made the quarter-finals at Roland Garros in 2006. Gauff is also the youngest American woman to book a place in the last eight in Paris since Jennifer Capriati in 1993.

In a composed performance on Court Philippe Chatrier on Monday, the American teenager, seeded 24, broke her Tunisian opponent three times without facing a break point herself. “I am super happy to reach my first Grand Slam quarter-final. I played really well today,” said Gauff who has yet to drop a set and also learned she had claimed a place on the American team for the Tokyo Olympics.

Gauff, who famously raced to the Wimbledon fourth round in 2019 as a 15-year-old qualifier, faces Barbora Krejcikova for a place in the semi-finals. The 33rd-ranked Czech also reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final with a 6-2, 6-0 win over 2018 runner-up and former US Open champion Sloane Stephens.