NEW DELHI: American star Coco Gauff, ranked third in the world, staged an impressive comeback to secure a spot in the French Open semi-finals for the second time.
Gauff overcame Ons Jabeur in three sets on Tuesday, winning 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Gauff, who triumphed at the US Open last year and previously finished as the runner-up at Roland Garros, will face either top-seeded Iga Swiatek or Marketa Vondrousova in her bid to reach the final.
The victory marks her third consecutive Grand Slam semi-final appearance, following her success at the Australian Open earlier this year.
Despite her best efforts, Jabeur, the eighth seed from Tunisia, continues her quest for a first major title.
The 28-year-old has now fallen short in three finals and four quarter-finals at Grand Slam tournaments.
With the crowd at the main stadium loudly supporting Jabeur at times, Gauff did not play badly in the opening set. But No. 8 seed Jabeur — a three-time major finalist — was superb, winning 17 of 18 first-serve points, never facing a single break point and accumulating a 12-5 edge in total winners.
When she delivered an ace at 114 mph (184 kph) to end the set, Jabeur nodded repeatedly.
But Gauff got going after that, raising her level and playing more aggressively. She put in 16 winners over the last two sets, while breaking serve four times.
(With inputs from agencies)
