Gauff Saves Two Match Points to Reach US Open Semifinals

What happened

Watch the highlights:

Coco Gauff recovered from a set down and saved two match points to defeat Mirra Andreeva 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2 in the US Open quarterfinals. The WTA reported that the fourth seed completed the comeback in two hours and 19 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium, earning a place in the tournament's semifinals for the second time in her career.

Andreeva took control of the opening set 6-2, but Gauff prevented the match from ending in the second-set tiebreak. After surviving the two match points, the American claimed the tiebreak 9-7 and carried that momentum into the deciding set, which she won 6-2. The result extended Gauff's perfect tour-level record against Andreeva to six wins from six meetings. Three of those victories have come after Gauff lost the opening set.

The final numbers show how narrow the contest was despite the decisive third-set score. According to the WTA scorecard, Gauff won 95 of the match's 189 total points, only one more than Andreeva. Gauff converted four of five break-point opportunities and saved five of the nine break points she faced. Her second serve remained a vulnerability, with 12 double faults and only 11 of 34 second-serve points won, but her first serve was more productive: she won 49 of 69 points behind it.

Why it matters

Gauff has now won 11 consecutive matches and 20 of her past 22 dating back to Wimbledon, the WTA reported. She has reached four straight semifinals during that run, evidence of sustained form at the most important stage of the hard-court season. This victory also required a different kind of resilience: she was outplayed in the first set, stood two points from elimination in the tiebreak and still found a route into the last four.

The comeback ended Andreeva's attempt to reach her first US Open semifinal. The fifth seed won 74.4 percent of her first serves and 60.9 percent of the points behind them, but Gauff's efficiency on break chances proved decisive. Andreeva converted four of nine break points, while Gauff converted four of five. That contrast helped Gauff stay close enough to turn the match once the second-set tiebreak shifted in her favor.

Tournament impact

Gauff will face second seed Elena Rybakina in the semifinals. The matchup is level at one win apiece, according to the WTA, giving neither player a head-to-head advantage. Rybakina reached the last four by beating Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 and secured the world No. 1 ranking for the first time with that result.

The semifinal therefore pairs one of the tournament's most resilient performers with the player set to lead the next WTA rankings. Gauff's movement and return game will be tested by Rybakina's first-strike power, while her second serve will be a clear area of scrutiny after the double faults against Andreeva.

What to watch

The central question is whether Gauff can protect her second serve while maintaining the pressure she created on Andreeva's service games. Rybakina offers fewer openings when serving well, so converting break chances as efficiently as Gauff did in the quarterfinal could be essential. Gauff also carries the physical and emotional demands of a 139-minute comeback into a quick turnaround for the semifinal.

Source note

The result, match duration, head-to-head records and match statistics were reported by the WTA on 9 September 2026: https://www.wtatennis.com/news/4574376/gauff-saves-two-match-points-storms-past-andreeva-into-us-open-semis and https://www.wtatennis.com/tournaments/905/us-open/2026/scores/LS73992540