US Open LIVE: Sabalenka vs Gauff LIVE – American Coco Gauff has won her maiden Grand Slam title. The teenager defeated Aryna Sabalenka with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory in the US Open final on Saturday, 9th September 2023. She becomes the third American teenager to lift the US Open title after Tracy Austin and Serena Williams.
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Gauff, 19, fed off the noisy local support as she mounted a terrific second set fight back. She continued to keep the momentum going until the end of the battle before falling to the court on Arthur Ashe Stadium after clinching the title with a backhand winner.
Sabalenka had a superb start but could not keep the momentum going as unforced errors piled up. She closed her 2023 Grand Slam run, which included an Australian Open title and semi-finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, on a disappointing note.
There were signs of nervousness from both players early on. Gauff made a pair of unforced errors to help Sabalenka to a break in the opening game. The Belarusian dropped serve in the fourth game with two double faults and an unforced error. Sabalenka went on to convert on a break point chance in the fifth game. The Belarusian was helped to another break in the seventh as Gauff double faulted and made two more costly forehand mistakes as she went on to clinch the first set.
In the second set, the American showed new resolve. She fended off a pair of break points in the first game and flipped the script. Gauff increased her intensity, sending Sabalenka scrambling around the court in the fourth game before the Belarusian dropped her serve with a double fault.
Gauff produced an overhead smash to break in the opening game of the third set and converted another in the third game. Sabalenka took a medical timeout after the fifth game, consulting a physio for an apparent issue with her left thigh. She however did not appear worse off as broke in the next game. Gauff was rattled. However, she did not show it, winning a 20-shot rally before breaking back in the seventh game and soaking up the adoration of the crowd at the major she grew up watching as she clinched the title.
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