LEXINGTON, Ky. _ A rising star has kicked down a new door in the Top Seed Open at Top Seed Tennis Club in Nicholasville.
Jennifer Brady knocked off teen phenom Cori "Coco" Gauff 6-2, 6-4, in the semifinals of the $225,000 Women's Tennis Association tournament on Saturday to earn her first career trip to a WTA finals.
"Obviously, reaching a final in any tournament is a great opportunity," Brady told the media in a post-match Zoom teleconference. "Hopefully, I come out and play well tomorrow and we'll see (what happens)."
Brady, a 25-year-old from Harrisburg, Pa., who is No. 49 in the WTA rankings, lost the first game in each set but quickly rebounded to take control in both, keeping Gauff off-balance with powerful serves and blistering forehand strikes that often produced wicked spin. Brady had eight service aces on the day to just two for Gauff.
Brady credited a youth career spent competing against boys for helping her develop a punishing power game.
"When I was younger I practiced with a lot of boys, I grew up only playing with boys," Brady said. "There wasn't many girls training where I was when I was younger so I was practicing with a lot of older boys ... They play different. They play with more spin, they hit a heavier ball, things like that. So, I think I kind of adapted to the way they play and kind of evolved my game around that."
Despite Saturday's loss, it was a strong showing in Kentucky from Gauff, who took the sport by storm last year just a few months after turning 15 years old when she upset Venus Williams in the first round at Wimbledon and advanced to the round of 16. A few months later, Gauff became the youngest player to capture a WTA singles title in 15 years when she won the Linz Open in Australia.
"She's obviously a great tennis player, she's so young," Brady said of Gauff. "I respect her ... she's obviously had a lot of great wins so I think she earned the right to have (that) respect."
Gauff entered the tournament No. 53 in the WTA rankings and will likely vault into the top 50 after knocking off two of the eight seeded competitors in the Top Seed Open's 32-player singles field. Gauff toppled No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka, who's ranked No. 11 in the world, in the second round and then beat No. 8 seed and 39th-ranked Ons Jabeur in the quarterfinals.
"I can take away a lot from this week in general. I learned a lot," Gauff said during a Zoom teleconference. "I couldn't ask for a better first week back ... These are good stepping-stones and good learning tools that I can use to help prepare for (the U.S. Open.)"
Brady faces a stiff test in Sunday's finals, where she'll meet Jil Teichmann, who steamrolled her first four opponents in Nicholasville.
"I'll tell you what, Jen Brady played some unbelievable tennis. She's played great all week," Tennis Channel analyst and former touring professional Paul Annacone said on the network's post-match studio show. "Teichmann as well. They've played the best tennis of the field, both of them."
