After overcoming 4th Rd jinx, Coco says Q-F entry means a lot to her

Paris, June 7 (IANS): American teenager Coco Gauff was relieved after securing a spot in the French Open quarterfinals here on Monday.

The 17-year-old player came up with an inspired display to beat Ons Jabeur of Tunisia 6-3, 6-1, to reach her maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal.

“It means a lot to me. I have lost in the fourth round a couple of times so it feels good to get over that hurdle. Today I played probably my best match so far in the tournament,” Coco said at her post-match press conference.

Coco has never gone beyond the fourth round in any of the Grand Slams so far. Her best have been fourth-round entries in 2019 (Wimbledon) and Australian Open (2020).

“I feel like all my matches have been — I don’t know how to say it, but straightforward wins, like no crazy three sets and stuff,” Coco said, reflecting on her previous encounters here this year. “As we know, I have had a lot of those in the past,”

Coco said she feels like this has been the most consistent tennis she has played at this level.

“I’m definitely still learning (on clay), I’m going to always still be learning no matter how many matches I win. But for me, it’s just being patient. And shot selection I think is really important on clay because you’re not going to have too many outright winners on clay just because it’s slower and gives more time for your opponent to get the ball,” she said.

“I think clay is probably the surface you can use the whole court the most. I think it’s important that I continue to mix up how I play so my opponents don’t really know what to expect.”