Gauff advances to 12th Grand Slam quarterfinal in US Open win over Jovic

NEW YORK -- For the first time in three years, Coco Gauff is back into the quarterfinals of the US Open.

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The 2023 champion of New York defeated fellow American Iva Jovic 6-1, 6-4 in 1 hour and 33 minutes to extend her winning streak on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz to 10 matches, and she's now advanced to her 12th Grand Slam quarterfinal. Furthermore, with her straight sets win Monday, Gauff has now won 20 consecutive sets, having last dropped one in her Cincinnati second round vs. Liudmila Samsonova.

Gauff will next face Mirra Andreeva, an opponent that Gauff has never lost to in five meetings. Four of those five meetings have come on clay, however, with the lone on hard court coming at the 2023 US Open.

The pair's lone previous battle came on the Italian clay, where Gauff edged the younger Jovic 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 in Rome's Round of 16. Gauff would eventually progress to the final of the Internazional BNL d'Italia, falling to Elina Svitolina in the championship.

Monday's first set would be quite opposite of what transpired in Rome, with Gauff securing it in just under 35 minutes. Despite being broken in the opening game, Gauff went on a tear by taking the next six games. At one point, from midway to the first set to 0-30 in the second set, Gauff had won 25 of 30 points against Jovic, who ultimately made the second set much more contested.

Jovic exited Arthur Ashe Stadium in slight tears, disappointed in her performance where she won just 45% of points on her serve. She was down one break before leveling at 3-3, but Gauff managed to strike back at the perfect time with a break at 5-4 with an opportunity to serve for the match. 

What it means?

• Since 2000, only Serena Williams (15) and Maria Sharapova (13)  have reached more Grand Slam quarterfinals than Gauff before the age of 23.
• Gauff has won nine matches in a row in straight sets for the first time in her career.
• The top six seeds have reached the US Open quarterfinals for the first time since 1998 -- Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, Jana Novotna, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Venus Williams and Monica Seles. 

More to come...