WTA Guadalajara: Azarenka beats Gauff to reach semis, plays Pegula next

Former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka advanced to the semi-finals of the Guadalajara Open on Friday with a three-set win over American teen Coco Gauff.

Azarenka, a two-time Australian Open champion now ranked No 37 in the world, needed two hours and 47 minutes to win the hard-fought contest 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-3.

Azarenka scored her 73rd career win over a top 10 player.

In the previous rounds, the 33-year-old Azarenka defeated Russian lucky loser Elina Avanesyan (6-4, 6-2), Spaniard Paula Badosa, the top seed (6-2 retired) and American Madison Keys, the No 13 seed (6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-1).

“She’s such a great athlete and I can’t wait to see how far she’ll go” – Azarenka on Gauff

This was the first career meeting between the two players and Azarenka was clearly impressed by her younger rival’s game.

“She’s such a great athlete and I can’t wait to see how far she’ll go,” Azarenka said as quoted by the WTA Tour. “It was a lot about the first ball, trying to serve smart, and trying to put a lot of pressure on return. She served really well, she was mixing a lot, so I was just trying to adjust when I had opportunities. I had quite a few and I couldn’t convert them, so I tried to just stay consistent and look for another one, and not get down on myself.”

Now through to her first semi-final of the season, Azarenka will face another American in the last four – Gauff’s doubles partner Jessica Pegula, the No 3 seed, who defeated former US Open champion Sloane Stephens 6-2, 6-2. Azarenka leads their head-to-head 2-1.

Guadalajara WTA 1000, other quarter-final results (Centro Panamericano de Tenis, hard, USD 2.527.250, most recent results first):

• Anna Kalinskaya vs. Marie Bouzkova
• Veronika Kudermetova vs. Maria Sakkari
• Jessica Pegula beat Sloane Stephens 6-2, 6-2

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