Coco Gauff advances as Anisimova and Keys exit US Open

BBC Sport reports that Coco Gauff reached the fourth round of the US Open with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Spain’s Cristina Bucsa, keeping alive the American’s pursuit of a second title in New York. The 22-year-old, who won the tournament in 2023, had to recover from an early deficit before completing the straight-sets win.

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Bucsa moved 3-1 ahead in the opening set, but Gauff responded to take control. When she was broken to love in the second set, Gauff answered immediately and closed out her eighth consecutive straight-sets victory at WTA Tour level. She has now reached the second week of the US Open in five successive years.

Gauff’s previous two campaigns in New York ended in the fourth round. After Saturday’s win, she said she had placed too much pressure on herself at the 2025 tournament but was now enjoying the experience of competing in front of home supporters. Her next match will determine whether she moves beyond the last-16 stage for the first time since winning the title three years ago.

The day brought a dramatic defeat for Madison Keys, who lost 1-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 to China’s Zheng Qinwen. Keys led the deciding set 5-0 and held a match point, but Olympic champion Zheng won the final seven games to complete the comeback. Keys said afterward that fear affected her ability to swing freely as the match tightened.

Keys, the 2025 Australian Open champion and a US Open finalist in 2017, also said she had been struggling and needed to make changes. Her defeat meant she finished the 2026 season with fourth-round exits at the other three Grand Slam tournaments and a third-round loss in New York.

Amanda Anisimova, runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka at the 2025 US Open, was also eliminated. The 25-year-old lost in straight sets to Austrian 24th seed Anastasia Potapova, dropping serve twice in the first set and four times in the second. Gauff joined Jessica Pegula, Taylor Townsend and Emma Navarro among the American women already through to the fourth round, with Iva Jovic still seeking a place in the last 16.