Hot shots: Bucsa, Gauff thrill with wild all-court exchanges at US Open

Cristina Bucsa and Coco Gauff thrilled Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday with several all-court exchanges that showed off both players' extensive shot-making repertoires.

No. 40-ranked Bucsa took an early break lead, and serving at 3-2, deuce, came up with something special as she sought to consolidate it. After exchanging baseline blows for 18 shots, the Spaniard -- a doubles bronze medalist at the Paris Olympic Games -- broke the rally open with a canny charge to the net and a delicate drop volley. But Gauff's speed up to seemingly lost causes can never be underestimated -- and once she got to the forecourt, the point morphed into a brilliant cat-and-mouse exchange of volleys and angles. Gauff was the player who managed to get a backhand volley deep in the court first -- but Bucsa managed to spring back to the baseline and pull off a superb forehand pass down the line.

As the commentator put it, "one of the best points you'll see all tournament."

Despite losing the point, No. 4 seed Gauff still managed to break Bucsa back and go on to take the first set. At 2-2 in the second set, it was the American's turn to come out on top of a touch battle. A lucky net cord gave Gauff the advantage in the rally as Bucsa was forced to sprint up to net to track it down -- but the 28-year-old found an excellent counter-drop to get out of trouble, then pulled off a pinpoint lob to get on the front foot again. A ruthless Gauff forced Bucsa to sprint up to the forecourt again to retrieve a drop shot, and this time the former champion was ready to wrong-foot her opponent with a delightfully angled cross-court pass.

Gauff went on to win 6-3, 6-4 to set an all-American fourth-round meeting with No. 14 seed Iva Jovic.